Unexpected Love
by PAN TRUNKS LOVER
Summary: When Katsuki arrives in Konoha, she encounters the famous Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. Several unexpected meetings later, the two end up on a mission together. Will sparks fly? Will the two find unexpected love? OC/Kakashi pairing. COMPLETED
1. A New Home?

A/N: Please note that this story is written from Katsuki Yamasaki's viewpoint, a character I've invented. I hope you like it!

Beta-read by Raina1.

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><p><strong>Unexpected Love – Chapter 1: A New Home?<strong>

_The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time – unknown quote_

This was only my second day at the Hidden Leaf Village and already I felt completely at home. It was strange, but I'd never expected to feel like this. Over the past couple of years I've been on the move, shifting from one village to another. Due to this I've never really had the chance to find a place I could call my home. So you can imagine my surprise, when I felt at ease coming to the Hidden Leaf Village.

My name is Katsuki Yamasaki and I'm twenty-three years old. My past is cloudy and I barely have any memories of it. My Sensei tells me that he found me lying unconscious in the woods three years ago and took me under his care. However, he always avoided eye contact with me whenever I mentioned it. I figured out a long time ago that he was hiding something from me, but no matter how much I pressed him on the issue, he always gave me the same answer every time:

"Katsuki... how many times have I answered your questions? Quit asking me again and again!" he would say. Like always I would lower my head in disappointment. I couldn't understand why he wasn't being honest with me. Eventually I gave up asking months ago.

It was only a few days ago when he told me we were headed for the Hidden Leaf Village. I had been taken back. It was a place I hadn't visited before. I'd heard many stories about it from him and I had suggested visiting it several times, but he refused each time. I knew he was from the Leaf Village originally, so I couldn't understand why he didn't want to go there, after having been away from it for so long.

After we arrived yesterday, we were greeted by the Hokage, Lady Tsunade. She was a beautiful woman, but according to my Sensei, she had quite the temper. He went all mushy when he saw her though, making me suspicious. These two definitely knew one another on a personal level.

"Tsunade, how are you? It's been ages!" he said.

She smirked with a raised eyebrow. "I see you haven't changed one bit, Jiraiya..." she replied in an exasperated tone.

He grinned. "Nor have you. You still look as beautiful as you did back when we last met," he answered back cheerfully.

I'd looked from one to the other with raised eyebrows. "I didn't know you knew one another so well..." I voiced out loud. They turned to face me then, as if only just remembering I was there.

"Hello Katsuki, I see you've grown up to be quite a beautiful woman. Jiraiya told me all about you, the last time I saw him. From what I recall, you're a great ninja as well," she said.

I smiled at her words. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade," I said with a bow.

She nodded and turned back to my Sensei. "We'll talk later, Jiraiya. How about we let the both of you rest? You must be tired after your long journey here," she told him.

He nodded.

Suddenly the door slammed opened and a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes burst in. He scowled at Jiraiya Sensei when he saw him.

"Pervy Sage, where the hell have you been? I haven't seen you in so long!" he cried out angrily.

Jiraiya Sensei flinched visibly. "Naruto... wow, word sure does travel fast around here. I must say, you have grown into quite a fine young man, haven't you?" he said with a smile.

"Don't give me all that sweet talk! We were meant to go training that day when you suddenly disappeared. That was three years ago. Where've you been all this time?" Naruto fired back.

Jiraiya eyed him nervously before exchanging glances with Lady Tsunade.

"Naruto, how many times have I told you not to enter my office without asking for permission first?" Tsunade told him sternly.

Naruto bowed his head and apologized. "I'm sorry Grandma Tsunade. It's just that when I found out that Pervy Sage was back, I hurried over and forgot to knock," he answered lamely. The Hokage sighed.

"What am I going to do with you, Naruto?" she cried out in frustration. It was then Naruto noticed me standing there. Before he could question who I was, we were introduced to one another.

"I like you to meet Katsuki Yamasaki, Naruto. Katsuki, this is Naruto Uzumaki," Jiraiya Sensei explained. We exchanged hellos. I instantly developed a liking for him. He was a funny character, very bubbly too. You couldn't help feeling comfortable around him.

"Naruto, I'm sorry. There was a reason I had to leave at the time. I'll explain later," Jiraiya Sensei clarified.

"Fine...We can talk over at Ichiraku's, and you're paying," Naruto replied in a cheerful tone.

"I guess I've no choice," Jiraiya Sensei responded with a sigh.

"That's enough out of both of you. Naruto, you may leave now. Jiraiya, I've already sorted out accommodation for both of you, so go get some rest. I'll send a message later and we can talk then" Tsunade ordered impatiently.

Naruto exhaled noisily before he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Let's go, Katsuki. I'll show you where you're staying," Jiraiya Sensei said to me. I nodded and we both left the room together. As we were walking down the corridor, we came across another person. He was tall, with spiky silver hair, and most of his face was covered by a mask, leaving only one eye visible. His head band was concealing the other eye, which was quite strange. He was wearing a flak jacket, which was designed for shinobi at Chunin or Jounin rank, over his clothes.

"Kakashi... How are you?" Jiraiya Sensei greeted him.

"Jiraiya, long time no see. I've been good. What about you?" the guy named Kakashi answered. He turned to look at me and I smiled politely.

"Same here... This is Katsuki Yamasaki, and Katsuki, this is Kakashi Hatake," Jiraiya Sensei introduced us. We exchanged greetings and I found myself staring at him. I couldn't understand why, but something about the man intrigued me.

"Well... I'll best be off then. I need to speak to Lady Tsunade. Later!" he said casually and walked away. I risked a glance back, as we were walking away and found he was looking back at me as well. Our eyes met briefly, well to be more precise my eyes met his eye before I turned away.

That was my first encounter with Kakashi Hatake.

I'd been given my own place to live. It was small, but the ideal place for me. I wanted to speak to Jiraiya Sensei, but he'd excused himself and hadn't returned just yet. Luckily, I was staying near a restaurant and had eaten there. Afterwards I'd returned to my new apartment and fallen asleep. I hadn't realised how tired I was.

That was what happened yesterday. The next morning I'd woken up feeling much refreshed. After taking a shower I went outside to get something to eat. Jiraiya Sensei still hadn't returned, much to my annoyance. As I was walking outside, I bumped into a young woman with pink hair and green eyes.

"Hey, are you Katsuki Yamasaki by any chance?" she asked with a smile. I nodded.

"My name is Sakura Haruno. I was told by Lady Tsunade to come and check up on you. Is there anything you need?" she enquired. To me, she seemed genuinely friendly.

"Well, I was just on my way out to grab something to eat. I was hoping to see Jiraiya Sensei, but he hasn't come back since yesterday. Do you know where he is?" I asked.

"Lady Tsunade said he'd to leave the village for an important mission and that you were to stay here, until he returned. It was a matter of great urgency and he apologised that he couldn't see you before leaving" she answered in a regretful tone. I sighed.

"That's Jiraiya Sensei for you, always disappearing. I was wondering if you could give me a quick tour of the village? I would really like to know my way around," I requested.

She nodded happily. "Sure why not? I was just about to suggest the same thing. Let's talk over breakfast then. I could use something to eat too" she answered. We headed over to the same restaurant I'd gone to yesterday. After ordering our food we sat down and began talking. She was really nice. I discovered that she was a Medical Ninja, personally trained by the Hokage herself. She was a Chunin rank and was aiming for Jounin level. After graduating the academy as a Genin, she'd been in a group with two other ninjas and was led by Kakashi Sensei. I perked up when she mentioned his name. Don't ask me why because I don't even know myself.

"You mean Kakashi Hatake, right?" I asked casually. She turned to me in surprise and nodded.

"I met him yesterday outside Lady Tsunade's office," I explained. Our food arrived at that point and we started to eat. In between eating our food, she asked me questions about myself. To be honest, I didn't really like the idea of people knowing I couldn't remember my past. It wasn't the answers that bothered me, as much as it was the uncomfortable questions and not to mention the sympathetic looks. Luckily she didn't take my silence in the wrong way.

"It's okay if you're not comfortable talking about yourself. I can understand. Some people prefer getting to know a person before opening up about themselves," she said brightly. I relaxed and smiled back at her.

"Thanks...y ou don't normally come across understanding people nowadays," I said.

She nodded in agreement. "True, but here in the Leaf Village you're going to come across many people who, I'll bet, you're going to befriend. Everyone here is like a member of my own family. We get on so well," she answered.

"I would like that," I responded almost shyly. She laughed lightly at my tone.

"I suppose having Jiraiya Sensei as company isn't exactly fun. Let me guess, you spent more time hanging out in hot springs than anywhere else," she commented rolling her eyes. I found myself laughing.

"That's right. It was so annoying at times. He would always find excuses to stop at one here and there. Sometimes it would be for research, for his stupid books and other times it was to relax, after our so called intense training," I replied with a sigh.

"No surprise there. No wonder Naruto calls him Pervy Sage. All he likes to do is peek on the women," Sakura said. I burst out laughing and told her what'd happened yesterday when Naruto barged into the Hokage's office.

She shook her head with a smile. "That's Naruto for you... he can be such an idiot," she said almost tenderly.

"Sounds like he's someone special," I teased. She reddened slightly, but didn't answer.

"Sakura, I see you're pigging out as usual," someone called out. Sakura's face took on a look of annoyance.

"Look who's talking, Ino Pig...You're the one who practically lives here. No wonder you look like you've gained a pound or two!" she yelled back. A young woman with blonde hair and bluish green eyes appeared at our table.

"I haven't gained any weight, so you better take that back...Hey, I'm Ino Yamanaka," she said turning to me.

"Hello, my name's Katsuki Yamasaki," I introduced myself with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you. So what are you doing hanging out with a douche like Sakura?" Ino replied flashing an evil look at Sakura.

"Ino give it a rest. Lady Tsunade asked me to keep her company. She only arrived yesterday with Jiraiya Sensei. So what are you doing here? Is Choji, Shikamaru and Asuma Sensei here too?" Sakura asked. Ino nodded.

"I should get back to the others. I'll see you two later. Bye!" she said before walking away. We'd finished eating anyway and decided to go see the others Sakura had mentioned. They were a funny bunch. The fat one, Choji, wouldn't stop eating, whilst the others chatted away. After hanging out with them for another few minutes, we excused ourselves and left.

As we walked through the village, Sakura pointed out where everything was. It was indeed a very beautiful village, filled with happiness. You could sense the love and kindness radiating off the people. It was certainly a place I could call my home.

While we were passing, I noticed some of the people looking at me with curiosity, not to mention the guys.

"It seems you're getting quite the attention from the guys around here," Sakura pointed out teasingly.

I blushed slightly. "It's bound to happen when you're not from around here," I replied back.

"We both know that's not the only reason they were looking at you. It's not surprising when you're so beautiful," she said enthusiastically. I thanked her for the lovely compliment.

In a way she was right. I was used to guys looking at me, not being big headed or anything. With my long brown hair and dark green eyes, I'd caught the attention of many guys. My face was oval shaped with a small nose and full lips. I was tall and slim with womanly curves in the right places. I'd been told I was beautiful countless times.

To be honest, it wasn't something that interested me in the least. No guy had ever caught my attention, except for one and his name was Kakashi Hatake. Even though I'd met him only once, I couldn't shake off how affected I was by him. Recalling how we'd locked gazes yesterday made me smile. I wondered if I would see him again.

After another two hours of wandering around, Sakura said she'd to leave.

"I'm so sorry, Katsuki, but I really need to get back to work. I've to go and visit a few of my patients at the hospital. I will drop by later and we can hang out again. Is that okay?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course it's okay, Sakura. Don't worry I'll be fine. I'll see you later then," I assured her with a smile.

"Thanks Katsuki. See you later," she said and walked off. I decided to go and find a quiet place to train, since there was nothing else to do. Thanks to Sakura, I was already familiar with most of the village, so finding a decent spot wouldn't be an issue.

I returned to my apartment and got changed into my training gear, which consisted of black combats and a vest. I grabbed the pouch with my gear and attached it to the back of my slacks. It was quite warm today, so there was no need to wear a jacket.

After grabbing a bottle of water, I made my way outside. As I walked in the direction of the nearest training grounds I found myself thinking. Why'd Jiraiya Sensei decided to leave, after only just returning? It didn't make any sense. What on earth could be so urgent that he couldn't get a few days of rest? I kind of got the impression that they were hiding something from me... Even I could tell, whatever it was, Lady Tsunade was aware of it.

I noticed that I'd reached my destination and leapt over the wired wall, into the training ground. The place was empty, much to my relief. I preferred training on my own, unless Jiraiya Sensei was there to instruct me. I bent down to start off with my regular stretches. It helped to ease the muscles and this way I could move my body effortlessly. Getting back up, I made the signs for a Shadow Clone Jutsu and a Clone appeared with a poof. I smirked and prepared myself for some intense Taijutsu training.

Fighting your own Clone was an effective way to improve one's Taijutsu, I believed. With our Chakra evenly disputed between us, it was more of a challenge. Another more effective way was to fight against an opponent. Unfortunately, I didn't have one at the present moment. So, I'd to settle for the next best thing, fighting against a Clone. I pulled out a hair band from my pouch and tied my hair back.

The fight started off with hand to hand combat. I started off slow before giving my all. Whenever a Clone was defeated, I made another one. The second time I defeated it, I made two. This time it would be two against one. They grinned back at me before launching their attacks. One disappeared, whilst the other attempted to strike from the front. I ducked the high kick aimed at me before delivering a low roundhouse kick to the one who'd appeared behind me. We continued to spar deeply, until I managed to defeat them.

Out of breath, I settled down and drank from my bottle of water. I still had plenty of Chakra left, even after all that. It was time to get more serious, so I decided to use Ninjutsu as well. I'd recently learned the Rasengan Jutsu; taking two and a half years to get it right. According to Jiraiya Sensei, only a few had learned to master it fully. One of them was the Fourth Hokage, who was no longer alive. It was an extremely powerful attack and should only be used when it was necessary. Well, that's what her Sensei told her.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" I called out and a Clone appeared. I held out my right hand in front of me and my Clone followed suit. We conjured up the Rasengan Jutsu in our hands and ran forward, towards each other. The attack connected, causing a loud explosion.

I stood panting several metres away, after escaping the aftermath of the blast. My Clone had vanished and in her place, there was a huge hole in the ground.

"That was quite intense. Should you really be using the Rasengan in training like that?" someone called out from behind me. I turned around quickly in surprise, only to see Kakashi Hatake stood a small distance away from me, with what looked like Jiraiya Sensei's new book in his hand. There was silence, as we stared at one another. He placed the book back into his pouch.

"Not really, but Jiraiya Sensei isn't here to scold me, so I guess it's okay" I replied back easily.

"I'm impressed that you mastered the Rasengan jutsu. Not many people have," he said. I smiled.

"Thanks. It took me two and a half years to master it though," I answered back. He looked away as if in deep thought.

"Hmmm, I think it took Jiraiya Sensei longer... Though, I know of someone who mastered it in a week," he responded.

My face took on a look of surprise. "One week? That's shocking. Who was it?" I responded in amazement. To think someone could master such a difficult jutsu in such short time was beyond imagining. I was genuinely impressed.

"He used to be my student, but now we are equals. Jiraiya was the one who taught him the Rasengan. His name is Naruto Uzumaki," Kakashi replied almost proudly.

My eyes widened. He was talking about the young man she'd met in the Hokage's office yesterday.

"Naruto Uzumaki, eh? You mean the young man who refers to Jiraiya Sensei as the 'Pervy Sage'" I asked. Recalling the memory made me laugh lightly. His face lit up even though most of it was hidden from view.

"The one and only..." he answered with a chuckle.

"So what are you doing here?" I asked, settling down on to the ground.

"Well... I came out here to find a quiet spot to read my book, but a certain blast got my attention and I was distracted," he responded lazily.

"You came to the training grounds to find a 'quiet' spot to read a book?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. He was taken back by my sarcastic remark and scratched the back of his head, with a chuckle.

"Hmmm, you do have a point there," he said. I found myself laughing out loud for the second time and noticed him looking at me again, as if he was examining me.

"I heard you're a great ninja," he said casually.

"Did Sensei tell you that?" I asked with a smile. He nodded.

"How about I test that, to see if it's true?" he challenged. I couldn't tell if he was messing around or if he was being serious. It wasn't easy to figure him out, considering this was the first time we'd actually spoken to one another.

"Fine by me," I replied with a shrug.

"I hope you don't mind if I use this?" he asked and pulled his headband up. His right eye opened and revealed something I hadn't been expecting.

"You have the Sharingan..." I stated, hiding my surprise. So, he's the Copy Ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village I've heard stories about. He was the ninja with the single Sharingan, who according to the rumours, had copied over a thousand different jutsus. His father was known as the 'White Fang' from the Leaf Village, who was dead.

We stood facing one another, sizing each other up. It wasn't going to be easy to win this fight. I was at a disadvantage because he'd the Sharingan. He was capable of seeing my attack before I even executed it. My only hope of defeating him was to try and figure out a weakness quickly.

Suddenly he vanished and I quickly sensed him behind me. I ducked the punch he'd thrown at me and launched a hard kick of my own. He stopped it with the palm of his hands and without wasting another second I brought my other leg up to strike. He ducked just like I thought he would and flipped over him, stopping a small distance away. I grinned, feeling the adrenaline pumping inside me. This was going to be fun.

"Not bad, but is it good enough?" he called out. His hands came together and with incredible speed, formed hand signs, even I couldn't follow.

"Fire Style Fireball Jutsu!" he called out.

My eyes widened, as the attack shot out and hit me before I could duck out of the way. He quickly realised I'd used a Substitution Jutsu and came after the real me, who'd appeared behind him. I gripped him in a head lock and found he'd used a Substitution Jutsu as well. He'd disappeared and was hiding somewhere. I let my eyes wonder and quickly calmed myself down, attempting to sense his location. Only seconds later, I leapt up into the air when his hand appeared from underneath me. He'd been concealing himself underground. Just as quickly I powered up a Rasengan Jutsu and launched it at him. He emerged with a Lightning Jutsu of his own and the two blasts connected with an explosion. There was a huge blast and when the smoke had cleared, the two Shadow Clones we'd used were gone.

We both hid in the cover of the trees, breathing heavily. I could sense him and knew he could see me. He'd the Sharingan after all. For now, he was going to keep his distance and wait for me to make the first move. Still, I kept my guard up and prepared to use the Substitution Jutsu once more, if needed.

He was indeed an impressive fighter. One of the best I'd ever encountered. I wasn't going to let him win this fight though. It may seem I was at a disadvantage, but I wasn't the type to give up, no matter how hopeless the situation was. Even now, I still had some sneaky attacks up my sleeve and would use them, if it was required. So far, I'd avoided using any of my Ninjutsu attacks only because I wanted to see what kind of attacks he used first.

I was still trying to figure out a weakness of his and so far had come up blank. It was difficult because I didn't know what kind of person he was and his attacks were perfectly executed. He wasn't even giving me a chance to figure out his moves, let alone any weak points. The only other thing I'd gathered was that he liked to read. He was currently reading the latest version in Jiraiya Sensei's books. It wasn't even released yet...

My eyes widened suddenly and a smirk appeared on my face. I'd a plan. I jumped down from the tree I was hiding behind and walked confidently towards him. I knew he was watching me, trying to figure out what I was up to. There was also the possibility that he would try attacking me, so I made sure to keep my guard up. He looked down at me from the tree he was standing on, looking ever so mysterious.

"Are you giving up?" he called. I shook my head and he waited. There was silence as we gazed at each other. It was obvious he was on his guard, expecting me to pull a quick one on him. The minutes ticked by and still nothing. He dropped down onto the ground in front of me, without breaking eye contact.

"If you're not giving up, why have you stopped fighting?" he asked curiously.

"Do you like to read quite often?" I asked him. He cocked an eyebrow at the question.

"Hmmm, I guess I do," he replied slowly.

"I see you were reading the latest in Jiraiya Sensei's books earlier. Do you like reading them?" I asked in a casual tone. He touched his chin looking all thoughtful and then nodded. It was obvious he was confused, wondering where I was going with this. I resisted the smile I knew was dying to show itself on my face. I kept my face blank, hoping to keep him speculating.

Taking a few steps forward, I moved towards him and he instantly perked up, following my moves.

"Well, the thing is..." I stopped when I felt arms grab me from behind.

"You let your guard down," he whispered into my ear, as he held me against him. I smiled and leaned back into his body. My face moved closer to his and I started whispering something in his ear. His eyes widened, letting go of me. The Shadow Clone I'd encountered first was already taken care of, thanks to my Clone, who'd appeared behind him.

"Come on, I'm sure you're dying to know what's going to happen next. I could tell you how it ends..." I teased him, while taking confident steps in his direction. He shook his head in panic and covered his ears, closing his eyes as well when he noticed his Sharingan could make out my words. I smirked and with my most powerful kick, sent him flying into the air before appearing on top of him and with my Chakra directed into my fist, sent him crashing into the ground. I landed next to him and bending forward, whispered the words I'd been waiting to say.

"I win..." I said into his ear and after moving away, held out my hand to him. He looked up with narrowed eyes and accepted the hand offered. I pulled him up with ease and waited for him to speak.

"That was quick thinking. Good work," he complimented me, covering his Sharingan with his headband. I smiled.

"Thanks. That was one of the best fights I've had in a while. You live up to your name Kakashi Hatake, aka Copy Ninja of the Leaf," I commented. He nodded accepting the praise.

"Jiraiya was right about you too. You are a great ninja. It's expected though, since you're his student," he replied.

"He is a great teacher. Any ways, I should get going. I'm starving and could use a shower right about now. Thanks for the fight. I really enjoyed it!" I told him.

"No problem. We should do it again sometime and this time I'm going to win," he answered back cheerfully.

"We'll see...you really should finish that book beforehand though. Let me know how it ends!" I responded cheekily, turning away. His eyes widened at the meaning behind my words before shaking his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe I was fooled twice with the same trick!" I heard him say, making me laugh out loud. I picked up my bottle off the ground and with a final wave I walked away, without another backward glance. If I'd turned around to look at him, I would have caught him still standing there, looking at me with a strange look on his face…

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><p>AN: Please review! :D


	2. A New Mission

**Unexpected Love – Chapter 2: A New Mission**

_The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time – unknown quote_

I walked back to my place with a smile on my face. Today had been full of surprises. I hadn't felt this happy in ages. The world suddenly seemed like a wonderful place to live in. This wasn't like me, to feel so carefree and content. It was like the happy atmosphere in this village was rubbing onto me.

My stomach growled in protest, making me laugh lightly. It had been a while since I last ate. Maybe I should try that ramen place Naruto had been on about yesterday. Sakura had pointed it out to me earlier and said it was the best and worth trying. I hurried forward, eager to get back quickly and shower, so I could calm my empty stomach down.

After reaching my temporary home I had a much needed shower before getting dressed. I decided on wearing a sleeveless, knee length dress and left my hair loose. Then I placed my feet into my shoes and hurried outside, locking the door behind me. I took the route to Ichiraku's Ramen shop as I thought about him again. It seemed he was occupying more than eighty percent of my thoughts since our last meeting. There was something special about him, that much I had figured. He was so mysterious and always so cool. The way he went about things, almost lazily, and still looked so hot... Wow.

"Hey Katsuki..." I heard someone yell out from behind me. I turned around to see Naruto running towards me.

"Finally! That was the third time I called out to you. I can't believe you didn't hear me," he said once he had reached me.

"I'm sorry. I've only just heard you," I replied looking apologetic. He waved it off, grinning happily. What was it about the people in this village, always looking so joyful and carefree?

"Don't worry about it. I'm just on my way to Ichiraku's. You should really try it, it's delicious!" he answered back cheerfully.

"Actually I'm on my way over there now," I told him with a smile.

"Really? That's great! Let's go together!" he said excitedly. I nodded in agreement and we resumed walking.

"I can't believe Pervy Sage left again. He only just got back yesterday and today, he's gone again! Weren't you suppose to go with him?" he asked looking at me sideways.

"Sakura came over earlier and told me he left. He didn't tell me anything either. I don't even know what's going on," I explained.

He sighed. "That's Pervy Sage for you! You should go and see Grandma Tsunade. I'm sure she knows what's going on," he advised.

"I think I will do that, Naruto, thanks," I replied with a smile. He was right after all. Lady Hokage would know what was going on, obviously. There was no telling when Jiraiya Sensei would return and I couldn't just stay here, waiting for him to return. It was not like me to just sit idly and do nothing.

"We're here!" Naruto told me excitedly. We walked inside and sat down.

"The usual old man!" he called out happily.

"Naruto, it's good to see you! Who do we have here? Is she your girlfriend?" the old man asked peering at me. Naruto's face reddened at the comment, making me laugh. The young woman next to the old man smiled kindly at me.

"She sure is beautiful, Naruto," she said making me blush slightly.

Naruto sighed. "She's not my girlfriend... we're just friends. She came to the village yesterday with the Pervy Sage," he explained. I turned to look at him, slightly surprised to hear him introduce me as his friend.

"Oh I see, so what would you like then, miss? I recommend the ramen special seeing it's your first time here," the old man said, turning to face me with a welcoming smile on his face.

"Sure, why not?" I replied eagerly. His smile grew and he turned away to prepare our orders.

"Sorry about that," Naruto said looking apologetic.

"Oh, don't worry about it," I replied. Soon enough, mouth-watering smells began to reach my senses and I leaned forward keenly.

"It smells delicious," I commented. Naruto nodded in agreement. Several minutes later our food was ready and we accepted our filled bowls. Naruto tucked in impatiently as I prepared to taste mine. It was perfect! I couldn't help ordering another one once I had finished the first, it was so yummy. Naruto had about four and I couldn't blame him. He definitely had a bigger appetite than mine.

Once he was finished he sighed in contentment. "That definitely hit the spot!" he cried. After thanking the kind old man and the young woman, we left.

"I suppose you want to go and see grandma Tsunade now?" he remarked and I nodded. "I'll walk you there then. I need to go see Sakura at the hospital and it's nearby," he added. I thanked him and we set off. He dropped me off outside and with a wave, setting off in the direction of the hospital. I walked into the building and made my way towards Lady Hokage's office. I knocked on the door when I arrived and was told to enter. Lady Tsunade looked up from her pile of work on her desk and smiled when she saw me.

"Katsuki, just the person I needed to see," she said getting up.

I bowed in respect and walked towards her. "I was told by Sakura that Jiraiya Sensei had to leave the village urgently. Did he leave any kind of message for me?" I asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry about that, Katsuki. The matter was extremely important otherwise I wouldn't have sent him. It could take a couple of weeks, maybe longer, I'm afraid," she answered looking regretful.

It was just like I had thought. "So what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" I asked.

"Well...the thing is, I had a little chat with Jiraiya before he left, and we decided that you were going to live here from now on. You're an excellent ninja capable of becoming a Jounin and more. He felt that he couldn't train you anymore and wants you to continue your training here in the Hidden Leaf," she said.

I stared back at her, stunned. They wanted me to stay here from now on as part of the Hidden Leaf Village? It was almost like a dream come true.

"I don't understand... I'm sure you're aware that I have no memory of my past. How can you trust me?" I asked.

"That's true, but we're willing to take that risk. There's a possibility that your memories might not even return. Jiraiya has observed you closely over the past couple of years and he has given me his full guarantee that you can be trusted. You are one of his favourite students after all," she said with a smile.

It was too much to take in. I couldn't believe that Jiraiya Sensei thought that highly of me. There were times when I had stayed awake most nights wondering about my past and what had happened to cause my memory loss. Luckily Jiraiya Sensei had been there for me and helped me become stronger, so I could deal with the emptiness I felt inside.

"I need time to think about this my Lady... I hope you can understand that it is a bit too much to take in so suddenly," I said eventually.

She nodded. "Take your time, and when you're ready, come see me," she answered. I nodded and after thanking her I excused myself. As I made my way back outside I thought about what Lady Tsunade had said. Could I really settle down here permanently and make the Leaf Village my home? In a way I could already imagine the life I would have. The people here were really nice and there were already some I could become good friends with. The only thing stopping me though was my unknown past.

As I rounded the corner, I bumped into someone, and due to having been caught off guard, fell forward. Hands appeared to steady me and I looked up to see it was Kakashi.

"You really should be more careful," he said, slightly amused, gazing back at me with a cool look in his eye.

I blushed. "Sorry... I was kind of distracted," I admitted as he let go of my arms.

"No problem, count yourself lucky that you didn't bump into one of the guys bringing paperwork up," he replied with a careless shrug. He was right. It would have turned ugly if something like that had happened instead.

"Guess it must be my lucky day… It was nice seeing you again, Kakashi. I'll see you around," I said and walked away quickly. The need to get away and clear my head was more important right now. I couldn't let anything else distract me, even if it was Kakashi. Once outside I leapt on top of one of the buildings and made my way across to the other side of the village as fast as I could.

I stopped after some time and found I was in the woods. To be honest I hadn't really been paying much attention to where I was going. It was secluded and there was no one about. I leapt on top of one of the tree branches and sat down leaning against the tree, closing my eyes as I attempted to clear my head.

"There you are... you sure move fast when you're in a hurry," came a familiar voice in front of me. I opened my eyes to see Kakashi standing on the tree branch before me. I stared back at him in confusion, not understanding why he had followed me. Seeing my puzzled expression, he held up a small purse, which I recognised. My hand instantly went to the inside pocket of my dress and found it empty.

"You dropped it when we bumped into each other. I did call out to you but you didn't hear me. So I had no choice but to come after you," he explained.

"Thank you. I was in a hurry and didn't hear you call out. Sorry about that," I replied, apologetic. He handed me my purse, which I took and placed it back in my pocket.

"Don't worry about it. So you were in a hurry to come here?" he asked with his eyebrow raised. I didn't know what to say so ended up nodding.

"I guess everyone likes to go somewhere quiet when they need to think or sort their heads out. I do it too," he stated, settling down casually.

"True... It's always helped me before," I replied, a bit surprised at the divulged information.

"I heard about Jiraiya leaving. I suppose you're finding it awkward, staying in a village amongst complete strangers," he said.

I looked away, feeling the heaviness inside me again. "To be honest I feel right at home here. I don't think I've ever settled in so quickly in any of the other places I've stayed at. It was always on the move for me and Sensei. In between our training and his research, we travelled quite a bit. I like it here though, the people are so nice, and I've already made some friends," I answered with a smile.

"That's good. Does that mean you're planning on staying here and accepting Lady Hokage's offer?" he asked casually.

I was taken aback by his words. "How do you know about that?" I asked quickly.

"Jiraiya told me about it. He also asked me to help you with your training and talk you into accepting the Hokage's offer," he admitted.

My eyes widened. This meant that there was a possibility that he knew about my past. "I suppose he told you everything about me, including my past?" I said in an emotionless voice. He nodded. I suddenly felt angry and betrayed. Who else had Jiraiya Sensei been talking to about me? He knew I wasn't comfortable with just anyone knowing about my past. I was okay with him telling Lady Hokage because she had the right to know but why Kakashi? A complete stranger...

"Look, don't be upset about it. Jiraiya obviously thought it was for the best. There are only two people in this village who know about this. That would be me and the Hokage," he said in a serious tone. I found myself relaxing, it was something I could live with, I guess…

"It's just that I don't like talking about my past. You can't just go round telling people that twenty years from your life are missing. A big blank... I wouldn't even know my own name if I didn't have that kunai knife with my name etched on it. Sensei found it in my hand when he came across me lying there, unconscious and injured," I told him. There was silence as we stared at one another. Since I couldn't see his face, there was no way of seeing any kind of reaction. So I had no choice but to examine his eye to see if I could glimpse anything in it. However, all I could see was the same unfazed look and wondered if anything ever got to him.

"I can't say I understand how you feel because I don't. If I said I did then I would be lying to you. Everyone has their share of problems and secrets in life. The biggest mistake you would be doing is to let those problems and secrets control your life. In your case, you're not really thinking about the present or the future because you're dwelling too much in the past. Just let it go. Don't worry about something that might not even happen. Concentrate on what's happening at the moment," he said eventually, surprising me.

This guy just made it sound so simple and spot on. He was right though. There really wasn't any point worrying about something that might not even happen. It was like all the fear and anxiety inside me slipped away, as if it had never even been there in the first place. This guy was definitely something…

"Thanks... I really needed to hear that. You're right." I said feeling much calmer than I ever had. I think he actually smiled but I wasn't too sure, not with most of his face covered.

"Good, so I presume you're going to accept Lady Hokage's offer then?" he stated lazily. It's wasn't a question though, more like a statement.

"That's right," I told him.

"Hmm, I guess this is where I should say, 'I'm looking forward to working with you,'" he said touching his chin, with what I could presume was his thoughtful look. I found myself laughing lightly.

"I simply can't wait..." I said and his gaze returned to me, with a keen look in his eye.

"Oh really?" he said, slightly amused.

"Damn right, I can't wait to kick your ass again," I told him with a grin. He cocked an eyebrow at my remark.

"Don't get too overconfident. It might just be the reason for your downfall," he replied sounding bored.

"Who said I was being overconfident? It could be that you're simply underestimating me," I replied back easily.

"We'll find out soon enough," he said getting up. I got up too and looked around. It was starting to get dark and a light breeze had formed, which I hadn't even noticed.

"I should get going then. There's something I need to do," he added.

"Thanks... for being honest with me. I really appreciate it. I see now why Jiraiya Sensei asked you to talk me into it," I said as I gazed into the night sky.

"No problem. See you around," he said and disappeared.

I smiled and leapt down, off the tree and started walking back in the direction I had come. It was funny how much lighter you felt on the inside after talking to someone about your problems or fears. Jiraiya Sensei had been the first and now Kakashi. The only two people I had come across in the past three years who'd known exactly what to say. It showed how much my Sensei knew me. He had known Kakashi wouldn't beat about the bush and would say what was needed to be said.

"Thank you, Sensei..." I said out loud. The woods had disappeared behind me and a footpath appeared which I began to follow. It would have been quicker to just run back but I felt like taking my time. It wasn't like anyone was waiting for me back at my place.

So this was my new home... Home, the word alone was full of meaning. I finally found somewhere I could belong. The thought brought on a sense of satisfaction and peace inside me.

Half an hour later I finally reached my place and went inside, grabbing some takeaway from a restaurant on my way back when I suddenly remembered I needed to eat. After I had finished eating I got changed and climbed into my bed. It wasn't long before I had fallen asleep...

The next morning I woke up to a bright, sunny morning. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up in bed and recalled having a pleasant dream last night. I couldn't remember exactly what happened but I knew it had been about Kakashi. The thought brought a smile on my face and I stretched my arms lazily. Pushing back the covers, I got out of bed and went to wash up. After having a shower I got dressed into some trousers and a sleeveless top as I thought about the day ahead.

Today I would go see Lady Tsunade and inform her that I was going to accept her offer. Deep down I was excited and couldn't wait to get started on my new training. Putting my shoes on I went outside to grab some breakfast. I really needed to start cooking my own food instead of eating out all the time, which meant I needed to go shopping. I looked around to see if anyone I knew was about but didn't see any familiar faces. Hurrying towards the restaurant nearby, I ordered some breakfast before finding a table to sit at. It was empty except for a small group of girls in the far corner.

When my food had arrived, I hurriedly ate before paying my bill and left. Turning right I headed towards the building where Lady Tsunade was. On my way there I saw two funny looking guys, dressed similarly with weird haircuts. They were moving with their two hands on the ground while their bodies were in the air, just like a handstand.

"Come on Lee, we still have another 256 laps around the village left!" cried the older one.

"Yes, Guy Sensei," exclaimed the other one, with a salute. Some people had gathered outside and were laughing their heads off. I wasn't sure if they found their appearance hilarious or what they were doing. Either way I couldn't help laughing quietly to myself. Whoever they were, they sure took their training very seriously. Only complete dedication and hard work could make them do what they were doing, even if it looked quite comical.

I finally reached my destination and went inside. Knocking on the door to Lady Hokage's office, I waited for permission to enter.

"Come in!" Lady Tsunade called out. I entered and closed the door behind me. There was another woman inside currently handling Lady Tsunade some paperwork.

"Katsuki, how nice to see you!" Lady Tsunade greeted me.

I bowed in respect. "How are you, My Lady? I hope this isn't a bad time but I wanted to speak to you about what we talked about yesterday," I said.

"I am very well, thank you. So have you decided whether or not you accept my offer?" she asked.

"Yes I have. I accept your offer My Lady," I answered back easily.

She smiled and nodded approvingly. "Very well then...You will begin your training today. I have assigned Kakashi Hatake to assist you. I believe you two have already met?" she asked. I nodded. "Great! I expect to see you back here at noon. I will get in touch with Kakashi and let him know," she continued.

"As you wish," I responded and, after excusing myself, I left, making my way outside. I decided to go see Sakura at the hospital since I missed meeting her yesterday in the evening. It would be interesting to see her in action as a Medical Ninja, something I haven't seen before. I hurried down the path and walked towards the hospital, which could be seen in the distance. There were several people outside who I didn't recognise. They gave me curious glances, ones I was already familiar with. By the looks of it, everyone knew one another here in this village and could spot anyone new easily. Either way, I ignored them and walked inside.

My first glimpse of the inside was a huge waiting room with a reception area in front of me. I headed towards the woman who was currently leafing through paperwork, who looked up as I walked towards her.

"Hi, can I help you?" she asked in a friendly tone.

I smiled. "Hey, I was wondering if Sakura was working today?" I asked and she smiled.

"Yes, she's currently seeing a patient. If you would like to wait here I could send her a message and let her know you're here. Who should I say is here to meet her?" she asked.

"It's Katsuki. Thank you that would be great," I told her and walked away, taking a seat in the waiting area. My gaze fell on the clock on the wall in front of me and noticed that it was only 10am. I still had another two hours before none. The woman had left the reception area to head on back to the office nearby. She must have gone to find someone who could take the message to Sakura. I only ended up waiting ten minutes before Sakura turned up. She greeted me cheerfully and told me to follow her.

"I went to see you after finishing at the hospital yesterday but when I knocked on the door there was no answer. I'm so glad you came to see me though. This way I can give you a tour of the hospital!" she said cheerfully.

"Sorry, I had to go see Lady Hokage and kind of got held up. Thanks, that would be great," I replied with a smile.

"Don't worry about it. Naruto came to see me yesterday, he said you two ate at Ichiraku's," she said.

"Yeah, I bumped into him on my way there yesterday. The ramen was delicious. You were right in recommending it," I told her. We continued to converse as she showed me around the hospital. She introduced me to the other workers, as well as some of her patients and explained all the different trainings she had gone through to become a successful Medical Ninja. It was all quite fascinating actually and seemed quite difficult. Either way she definitely had the talent and commitment required for the role. You could tell just by watching her tend to her patients.

I checked the time on the wall clock and noticed it was nearly noon. Only another ten minutes to go. I explained that I had to go see Lady Tsunade and left. It was just as well because one of her team members had turned up to say she was needed for an emergency case, so she had to go too. I exited the hospital and headed over to see Lady Tsunade again.

I knocked on her office door and waited to be summoned inside, ordered to enter seconds late and walked in. Lady Tsunade was sat on the edge of her desk and the same woman I had seen there earlier was with her. There was also another guy there, who I recalled seeing yesterday. What was his name again... Shikamaru, that's it. He nodded acknowledging me and I returned a smile.

"Well, that's the mission as I explained, Shikamaru, and you have your list of comrades, who will be accompanying you. Good luck," Lady Tsunade said.

"I suppose I should get going then," replied Shikamaru with a sigh and left.

"Katsuki, right on time... I can't say the same for Kakashi though. That man is always late," Lady Tsunade commented. It was at that point we were interrupted by a tap on the window, behind Lady Tsunade's desk. It was Kakashi. The other woman went to open the window and he climbed into the room.

"I hope I'm not late?" he said idly.

"You just made it, Kakashi. Now that both of you are here I'm going to get straight to the point. I have decided to team both of you together. You have till the end of today to familiarise yourselves with one another because I'm sending you out on a mission. Nothing too difficult... I want Katsuki to get a brief idea of what it's like going on an assignment so she knows what to expect. Once your mission is completed, I want a full report on her performance from you, Kakashi. Is that clear?" Lady Tsunade said.

We both nodded.

"Good, your mission is to go to the Hidden Grass Village and find out information about a possible group of Rogue Ninjas, who rumour has it are working for Orochimaru. We have no idea who they are or where they come from so be careful. Once you have clarified if it is true then you are to return to the village immediately so we can form a team to send out to take care of them," she said.

"Understood..." said Kakashi.

"Do you have any questions Katsuki?" Lady Tsunade asked, turning to look at me.

"Well, I know about Orochimaru from Jiraiya Sensei, and I've heard stories here and there during our travels. I understand it's only a mission to clarify the rumours, but do you think its best that I accompany Kakashi in a mission like this? It's not that I'm worried about messing up. It's just that...don't you think it's too soon?" I said, trying my best to explain what I felt.

To be honest I hadn't expected to go on a mission so soon. I had full confidence that I wouldn't mess up, but then again who knew what could happen?

"I understand where you're coming from and I don't blame you for thinking like that. From what I have heard about you, you're a great ninja with commendable skills. Jiraiya and even Kakashi here think you're ready for this. I trust their judgment and have decided to give you this chance," she said, surprising me once again. I turned to look at Kakashi and he nodded once, to confirm what the Hokage was saying to be true.

"In that case, I can't let them down. If they think I'm ready for this then they have reason to think so. I accept this mission My Lady," I replied.

Lady Tsunade smiled. "Good. I expect both of you to work together and get the job done as soon as possible. You should get going and prepare. Once you are ready, you may leave to start this mission. Good luck," she told us. We thanked her and walked out of the office. I closed the door behind me and we headed outside together. I glimpsed at him sideways only to see that he was looking straight ahead.

"I appreciate that you think I'm good enough to go on a mission so soon. I was quite surprised when Lady Tsunade mentioned that you spoke to her as well as Jiraiya Sensei. Thank you," I said to him.

His eye moved in my direction but he carried on facing ahead. "There was no need to test you after Jiraiya spoke to Lady Tsunade, but I had to see it for myself. That day when you went to the training grounds, I followed you. I observed how you fought and after our fight I knew you were as capable as Jiraiya said you were. It was clear then that you would adjust without any problem so I informed Lady Tsunade about it and she decided to send us on a mission together," he answered.

So he had been testing me yesterday. It made perfect sense... if I had been in his place I would have done the same.

"I see... So how exactly are we going to familiarise with one another?" I asked looking back at him. We had exited the building and continued walking.

"Well, first of all, I'm going to go over the basic requirements with you so you understand them. If we stick to them, then we're more likely to complete this mission without any problems. Although there is always the risk of encountering a problem, so you need to be aware of certain points and signals which are to be used if anything like that occurs," he explained.

"Okay, ready whenever you are," I replied eagerly.

"How about I explain over some sushi?" he responded cheerfully, pointing at the sushi bar we were approaching.

I grinned. "You're on... I take it you're treating?" I answered back cheekily, making him stop in his tracks.

"I guess I had that coming," he said with a sigh, making me laugh. We walked inside and ordered some tempting looking sushi, taking our seats afterwards. He dove straight into explaining the do's and the don'ts, as I listened, making sure I memorised everything he said. It was all quite similar to what Jiraiya Sensei had taught me, I quickly realized, and this made things much easier.

There had been times when we had gone on missions as well to gather information. Most of the time, it had been in pursuit of Orochimaru or finding out where his hideout was. Jiraiya Sensei had confided in me about many things, including how he thought he had been unsuccessful in stopping his ex-comrade and friend, Orochimaru. I used to do the very best I could to help him, whenever it was possible. After all, I did owe him so much for saving my life.

He also told me about one of his students, who had experienced something similar. He didn't mention a name, only said that his friend had left the village and had gone to Orochimaru some time back. When I asked him about the reason, he said it was all for the sake of more power which he was going to use to get revenge from his brother. His student had been devastated when he found out and went after him, only to end up fighting a meaningless battle. His friend still left and even up till this very day, his student hadn't given up hope. He had vowed to bring him back, even if it killed him and believed that one day it would happen.

That night I couldn't sleep, wondering endlessly about what it was that brought you so close to someone who ends up leaving you without hesitation. I had seen the pain reflected in Jiraiya Sensei's eyes when he talked about what happened with Orochimaru. I could imagine the same pain in his student's eyes, whoever he was. In a way everyone has different reasons for creating such strong bonds with certain people in their life. Supposedly...I had that same connection with my Sensei. It had grown over the years and he became a sort of father figure for me. Since I had no memory of my past, I couldn't recall what it was like to have parents, so I just assumed it would be how it felt to have Jiraiya Sensei around...

I felt someone tap me on my shoulder, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up to see Kakashi leaning over the table towards me.

"Huh? Oh... sorry I guess I kind of blanked out there," I said slightly embarrassed. He cocked an eyebrow, the look of amusement back in his eye.

"You don't say... I called out to you several times and got no response. Have you been listening to what I've been saying?" he asked slowly. I nodded and easily repeated back everything he had said. His eyes widened in surprise and I resisted a smile. Even though I blanked out temporarily I still memorised everything he had said.

"So you have been listening...Which means I don't have to repeat myself… and here comes our sushi, perfect timing," he replied noticing one of the guys heading towards our table, with two plates in his hand. He placed our plates in front of us and left.

We ate in silence, enjoying our last meal before we were to leave the village. I noticed him looking at me here and there. It was strange but even now he was so difficult to figure out. I couldn't distinguish anything about his personality, not even as much as a hint from the way he spoke either. It was as if he wasn't in the least bit interested in anything.

"It seems like you have some experience in missions like these," he said after a while.

"You could say that. I've accompanied Jiraiya Sensei several times on missions in the past. It was mostly to do with finding out about Orochimaru plans and where his location was" I replied. There was no point in hiding that piece of information. I doubted that Jiraiya Sensei had concealed anything about Orochimaru from Lady Tsunade and since she trusted Kakashi, she must have told him too.

"It's just like I thought. So how did you find those kinds of missions? Jiraiya is somewhat an expert in learning information. I'm sure he must have taught you everything there was to it," he responded. It was just like I suspected. He knew quite a bit about Jiraiya Sensei.

"Jiraiya Sensei is a great teacher and I've learnt many things from him. When we started going on these missions, he used to explain as well as let me observe how he did it. Eventually I started to understand and as time went by, became just as good as him. I suppose Lady Tsunade knew about that and that's why picked a mission like this for me," I told him.

"I see... I actually can't wait to see just how good you are then. So far everything Jiraiya has said about you is true. You've learnt quite a bit over the past three years, haven't you?" he said, making me smile.

"Well, I'm looking forward to working with you, Kakashi. Something tells me that there's so much more to you and hopefully I'll get to see it. We should get going now," I replied. He gave me a weird look, probably wondering what I had meant by that comment, but didn't question me about it.

"You're right. I think we should get a move on. Let's meet at the exit point in half an hour then," he said getting up. I agreed and got up as well, waiting while he went to pay the bill. Once that was done we made our way outside.

"See you in a bit then. Don't be late," he said and disappeared with a poof. I shook my head at the 'don't be late' remark. He was the one who was always late, from what I've seen and heard so far. Deciding to take the quickest way back, I jumped onto the roof of the building in front of me and headed home…

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><p>AN: Please review! :D


	3. A Great Start

**Unexpected Love – Chapter 3: A Great Start…**

_The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time – unknown quote_

Exactly half an hour later, I stood waiting by the exit point with my backpack and pouch, filled with my ninja gear. I kept glancing at my wrist watch as the minutes ticked by but still, there was no sign of him. After waiting an extra twenty minutes he finally appeared out of nowhere.

"Sorry I'm late. I came across this poor old lady and..." he began but stopped when he saw me. His visible eye widened in what I could say was shock, when he noticed what I was wearing and I couldn't blame him. When I went home earlier I ended up getting changed into what I called my 'gathering information outfit'. It wasn't something I normally would wear but in situations like this, it was required. The outfit consisted of a very short green dress with tiny straps, which clung to my body and showed off my long legs. I had a pair of heeled shoes with it but I would wear them later. For now though I was sticking to comfortable footwear. My long hair was left open and fell weightlessly down my back, concealing the fact that the dress was backless.

I saw him swallow, trying his best to keep his gaze anywhere other than on me. Unfortunately his eye kept betraying him and I couldn't help but feel satisfied in a way. I had noticed many guys staring at me in awe on my way here but I hadn't felt any interest and completely ignored them. Kakashi Hatake on the other hand was a different story.

"You were saying?" I asked him, trying hard not to smirk.

"Oh...yeah...um, I was late because..." he started and I couldn't help but sigh. This was taking too long.

"Never mind, we should get going," I said cutting him off.

"You're right, let's get moving then," he replied quickly. I wasn't sure if I was imagining this but I swear his cheeks had gone red slightly. He must have noticed me staring closely because he turned away quickly and started walking, the smirk I had been putting off showed itself as I moved to catch up with him.

As we walked together down the lane, I could tell he was wondering why I was dressed like this. We were going on a mission after all, which required us to dress comfortably. I would have done just that and changed into this afterwards but since we were travelling, there was a limit to what I could take with me so had no choice but to wear this now.

"Go on... I know you're dying to ask me why I'm wearing this." I told him, rolling my eyes. He let out a sigh of relief and turned to look at me with enthusiasm.

"Whew! I didn't realise I was making it so obvious. So, why are you dressed like this?" he asked eagerly and I couldn't help but laugh.

"This is my 'gathering information outfit,'" I told him with a grin and his face went instantly blank.

"Let me explain. I got the idea a long time back before I went on a mission with Jiraiya Sensei. We heard rumours from a reliable source that Orochimaru was hiding in the Hidden Sound Village at the time. Jiraiya Sensei told me that Orochimaru had several hidden lairs in the Sound Village and so far their whereabouts were unknown.

We were also told that a Ninja called Hisashi knew information about Orochimaru so we went looking for him. Jiraiya Sensei stayed hidden because there was a possibly that someone would recognise him and in the end it took us several days before we came across something useful. I was at a bar one day when I overhead his name being mentioned by one of the women working there. I listened in on the conversation she was having with another woman.

Apparently Hisashi, the guy we were after, was dropping by the next day in the evening and was on the prowl for female company. The woman behind the bar mentioned he was, in her opinion, very hot and she couldn't wait to have him, so I informed Jiraiya Sensei about my discovery and it was decided that I would go, somehow grab Hisashi's attention and accompany him some place alone before confronting him.

So I went there dressed similarly to what I'm wearing now and noticed the same woman from the day before hovering over a guy at a table. He was with several other guys and I could tell that they were all ninjas. I got their attention straight away as I walked past them and took my time, looking for an opportunity to make a move. Eventually the woman who was with him, had to get back to work and that's when I got a good look at him.

I'm not going to bother explaining how I got his attention and how I convinced him to come with me. He didn't suspect a thing and followed me blindly to the spot where Jiraiya Sensei was waiting. It was easy because I made sure he had plenty of sake before we left and when the blow came he didn't even sense it. After he had woken up we began interrogating him and discovered what you probably already know..." I said and he nodded.

"After that mission it sort of became necessary for me to dress this way every now and then. It never let me down and I always succeeded in fooling the enemy without any trouble. Jiraiya Sensei was the one who came out with the name so it kind of stuck," I finished and waited for him to speak.

"I see...so you think this 'outfit' will come in handy. Hmmm, it's definitely...distracting so I guess you're right," he said after a moment of silence and I couldn't help but grin, hearing his words.

"What can I say, you men are so typical," I shot back, glancing sideways at him and saw a definite tint of red on his cheeks. For once he didn't have anything to say, much to my surprise. I had been expecting a cocky remark in return but got nothing.

"So have you finished reading Jiraiya Sensei's book yet?" I asked changing the subject.

"Yeah..." he replied lazily.

"I can't believe you like his books. I never thought you were the type to be into all of that. It's full of garbage," I told him, sounding sceptical.

"I like them," was all he said in return, with a careless shrug. We continued walking and making small conversation, mostly about our previous missions. He told me about his Team Seven – Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke, how they first met and some of the missions they had gone on and it was obvious he was very fond of them. Although I noticed he didn't talk as much about this young man called Sasuke as he did about the other two and then there was also the slight hesitation whenever he mentioned his name.

"This Sasuke you speak of, is he no longer about? I notice that you don't say much about him as you do about Naruto and Sakura. Did something happen?" I asked slightly uncertain and looked on as he glanced off into the distance

"Sasuke... how do I put this... left the Leaf Village a few years ago; he joined up with Orochimaru and hasn't returned since," he replied. My eyes widened in shock and almost instantly Jiraiya Sensei's story about his student hit me. This meant the student he had been talking about was none other than Naruto Uzumaki.

"So Sasuke is the one who's looking for revenge..." I voiced out loud and he turned to look at me in surprise.

"You know about this?" he enquired with an eyebrow raised.

"Jiraiya Sensei told me the story but didn't mention any names. He only said it was about one of his students. I understand now that he had been talking about Naruto," I replied with a small smile.

"Naruto and Sakura took it really hard. They haven't given up hope though even after all these years, especially Naruto. He believes that one day he'll bring Sasuke back home and Team Seven can be reunited. Something tells me he's going to do it because once he makes a pledge he's willing to do anything to keep it," he explained affectionately.

Naruto Uzumaki was someone with such a strong will, who cared so deeply about his comrades and never gave up, no matter how hard it was. You simply don't just come across people like that, especially in our Ninja World – a place full of deceit, pain and suffering. He was definitely one of those rare kinds...

"He's a special one," I said out loud.

"Without a doubt," he answered back.

"So how long does it take to travel to the Hidden Grass Village?" I asked.

"Well, it depends. Sometime tomorrow evening I would say," he responded. It was already evening and we had been walking for four hours straight. Soon enough it was going to get dark and so far we hadn't come across any villages.

"It looks like we may have to spend the night outdoors," I pointed out.

"We should come across a small village soon. We can spend the night there and continue in the morning," he informed me.

"I've never been to the Hidden Grass Village," I explained.

"No surprise there. I've only been there twice and that was years ago. The Hidden Grass Village is a small populated village and has been attacked quite often in the past. However, it has held its own even with a weak military and we also get numerous ninjas who participate in the Chunin Exams, here and there," he told me. Jiraiya Sensei had mentioned it a few times in the past but it hadn't been anything worth remembering.

I was starting to get a bit tired at this point. We had been walking for ages now, without having a break, and Kakashi hadn't suggested stopping so I just assumed he wanted to get to the small village he had been talking about before it got dark, it was best that way. Hopefully the village had a hot spring and I would get a chance to relax.

It had started to get a bit chilly as well, which was not helping. My body was protesting, feeling the cold air and I couldn't help but shiver. When I couldn't take it any longer I stopped, quickly pulling the rucksack off my back and saw that Kakashi had stopped as well when he noticed me pause. I bent over and pulled out my jacket from inside the backpack and getting back up, I lifted my hair up and completely forgetting that the dress was backless, gave Kakashi a full view of it.

It was at that point when I just happen to look his way and caught him eyeing me up from the back. He sensed my eyes on him and looked at me. There was something in his gaze, which I couldn't quite make out and most of my hair at this point had escaped my hold but I didn't even notice. I was too busy making eye contact with the mysterious hot guy in front of me, who hadn't looked away just yet.

My body suddenly trembled, snapping me out of the trance I was in. I quickly put my jacket on and grabbed my rucksack. Upon looking back at him, I noticed he had looked away.

"Sorry about that..." I said.

"No problem. I was wondering why you weren't feeling cold," he said with a chuckle.

"It only just started getting cold," I pointed out quickly as we resumed working again and after another twenty minutes I saw the village up ahead. The sky was already darkening at this point so we approached it hurriedly. It was small just like Kakashi had said and there weren't many people about either. I followed him into what looked like a small hotel.

"We're spending the night here. This is where I stayed last time," he told me and we went inside and asked for two separate rooms.

"I'm sorry but at the moment we only have one room available," the owner explained looking apologetic.

"Is there any other place we can stay around here?" I asked and he shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. This is the only hotel we have in this village," he replied back.

"I guess we haven't got a choice then. We'll sort something out," said Kakashi.

"So will you be taking the room then?" the owner asked. Kakashi nodded and the owner fetched a key from a drawer.

"Come with me. I'll take you there" he said. We followed him down several corridors before taking the stairs upstairs. Once we had reached the top, he turned right and paused at a door. Opening it with a key he walked inside and we followed him in and examined the room. It was spacious and looked like any other hotel room, with a small bathroom and the wall on the end had a window sliding door, which led outside.

"Could you arrange two beds in here for us?" Kakashi asked him.

"Of course, I'll have my wife set them up for you. In the meantime, you could visit our hot spring next door, if you want," he replied.

"Thank you. Hot spring, eh? That sounds like a good idea" responded Kakashi stretching his arms in the air. It was just what I needed as well and the thought of spending the night in the same room as Kakashi was an added plus. This was turning out to be a great start to the mission.

"Are you coming?" he asked glancing my way. I nodded and we turned to leave.

"What about our stuff? Shouldn't we leave it here?" I asked him, to which he shook his head in reply.

"Why not… Is this place not reliable?" I asked curiously as we made our way back outside.

"This village is small and poor, you can never be too careful and then there's the risk of getting robbed as well," he explained. I suppose he had a point. Although I've never been robbed before, one could never be sure when it could happen and so it was best to be careful from the very start. We walked into the building next door, which wasn't all that busy from the looks of it.

"Welcome to the Hot Spring!" called out the middle aged woman from the front desk and we exchanged pleasantries before she showed us the way to the hot springs.

"This one is for the men and that one is for the women. We also do separate ones for couples, if you prefer that instead," she told us brightly.

"Uh... no, there's no need for that. We'll just go our separate ways," Kakashi replied quickly.

"No problem. If you head on inside, there should be a young man there to help you," she told him before turning to me.

"I'll show you where the changing rooms are, if you follow me," she said with a smile and I nodded before trailing her. Kakashi had already walked into the men's room. We headed into the ladies room where she handed me a towel and a knee length gown before showing me where the changing rooms are.

"This is the key to your changing room. You can leave your belongings in there while you use the hot spring and it's perfectly safe. Once you're ready just head on out though that sliding door. The shower room is behind this door, in case you want to use it afterwards," she told me, pointing at a door on the other side and I thanked her before she left. I quickly stripped out of my clothes before wrapping the towel securely around me. Stepping out of the changing room, I locked it behind me before heading outside.

There were several other women there but not that many as I quickly scanned the area. A wall was set up all around for privacy and you could hear the men on the other side. It seemed the hot springs for the male and female were next to each other, only separated by a wall in the middle.

I let the towel drop before getting in to the hot water and couldn't help but sigh when I felt my body relax. I placed the key in the chain around my neck so I wouldn't lose it and as time went by I felt the fatigue begin to wear off. My eyes were closed as I leaned back in enjoyment. It was just what my body had needed.

"Hey," I heard someone say in a cheerful tone and my eyes opened to see a young woman around my age, smiling at me.

"Hey," I replied back with a smile.

"You must be a traveller passing by. I haven't seen you here before," she remarked.

"That's right. Do you live here?" I asked and she nodded.

"My parents own the hotel and the hot spring. I come here every day to relax when I get some time off work. We get a few regulars but most of the time it's just travellers passing by," she told me.

"Lucky you, I wish I could go to a hot spring every day. I suppose you're helping out here during the day?" I asked.

"Yes, the woman you met at the front desk is my mother. It's just the three of us taking care of both places, with Kenji – one of the local boys tending to the men who come here. We take care of things here while my parents work at the hotel and my mother only came here now so I could take a break. She's been busy at the hotel all day. Most of the people who've come here, are staying at the hotel and we're actually fully booked tonight, majority of the people booking in being travelers," she replied. It seemed that they were doing quite well. With their village been the only one around here, it meant great business for their hotel and hot spring.

"Akira, I need you to watch the front desk. Your father needs me at the hotel," someone called out from the sliding doors.

"That would be my mother. I should get going. It was nice talking to you," she said getting out.

"Same here, I'll see you in a bit," I replied as she wrapped a towel around her before hurrying away. I closed my eyes again and found myself thinking about Kakashi. I realised in the short time I've known him, that I had developed feelings for him. I wasn't sure if it was love or just mere attraction, but it really didn't matter at the moment as it was still too soon. I wasn't even sure if he liked me in the same way, although there had been hints that he did. The way he looked at me was the biggest giveaway but it wasn't enough to go by, but then again there was no hurry, we still had plenty of time with the mission only just starting.

Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by a loud scream and my eyes opened instantly to see a woman staring wide eyed at the wall next to me. I turned quickly to see what it was, only to see two guys standing on the wall with towels wrapped around their waists and they were staring down at us with evil smirks on their faces. All the women instantly lowered themselves into the water and began yelling out abuses at the two perverts.

"I really think you should get back down before you regret it!" I heard Kakashi call out from the other side, but it was too late anyway as I had already made my move. With speed too quick for the human eye I had jumped out of the water, grabbed my towel and wrapped it around me. No one had even seen me make a move and then I leapt up into the air before delivering a powerful roundhouse kick at both of them, sending them flying back on to the other side. There was a loud splash of water before I heard them swearing.

I landed gracefully back down on to the ground and the women started cheering.

"I did warn you..." I heard Kakashi say from the other side.

"Wow, that was fast!" said one of the women in awe.

"You sure taught him a lesson. Good job!" said another. I smiled before letting myself relax, now that the fun was over. Eventually all the other women began to get up to leave and I was the only one left. After a while I got up too, feeling hungry all of a sudden and grabbing my towel, I wrapped it around me and walked back inside. The last time I had eaten was back at the Leaf Village, just before leaving and that was hours ago.

I decided to wash my hair and went to the shower room. There was a good selection of scented shampoos and body wash, which I picked from. After having a shower I wrapped the towel around me and was just about to walk out, when I heard it. The sound of footsteps outside...

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><p>AN: Please review!


	4. Mutual Feelings?

**Unexpected Love – Chapter 4 – Mutual Feelings?**

_The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time – unknown quote_

Whoever was out there, knew someone was in here and they were moving around suspiciously. It couldn't be any of the other women, could it? I leaned against the door to see if I could make out any sound... and heard nothing. Deciding to go out and face whoever it was, I flung the door open quickly and stepped outside, only to find the two men from earlier standing there, fully clothed.

"Well, well who do we have here? If it isn't the one who attacked us earlier!" said one of them with a grin on his face whilst the other one eyed me up and down.

"She's really hot, I can't wait to get my hands on her," he said rubbing the palms of his hands together and licking his lips.

"You just don't learn, do you?" I commented, shaking my head in disgust.

"You got lucky back then but don't think it's going to happen twice," said the first one, moving forward.

"Oh really, well what are you waiting for? Come get me then," I replied in a bored tone. Their faces twisted in anger and they both rushed towards me. I leapt over them effortlessly and before they could turn around, I delivered the knock out blows on their heads with my fists and they dropped onto the ground lifelessly.

"Oops, maybe I put a bit too much chakra into those blows," I said out loud.

"Hmmm, I think you're right," said someone in a very familiar voice, behind me.

"Don't you think it's rude to come inside the ladies room?" I said turning around. He stood in the doorway, fully dressed, next to an open mouthed Akira.

"I thought you might need some help but guess I was wrong," he replied innocently, keeping his visible eye trained on my face.

"Come on, like I would need any help! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and you know it. You just couldn't resist coming in here to take a peek, admit it!" I shot back. It was like I had completely forgotten I was standing in front of him, with nothing more than a towel wrapped around me. In reply he only regarded me with a cool look and didn't bother commenting. Meanwhile, Akira stood staring at both of us as we exchanged words, appearing to be still in shock.

"You can take out the trash while I get dressed," I continued and headed towards the changing room. Opening the door I stepped inside and closed it behind me, quickly getting dressed and went back outside with my backpack. Akira stood waiting for me, looking apologetic.

"I'm so sorry. Nothing like that has ever happened here before. I'm glad you taught them a lesson. I saw them coming this way and knew you were here alone. It was then I bumped into your friend outside when I went to get help and we hurried over but you had already taken care of them. It was very impressive," she said with a smile, taking the towel and gown from me.

"It's okay. Let's just forget about them. Where did Kakashi go?" I asked.

"Oh, he went to dispose of the rubbish like you told him too. We're just about to close up. I've asked Kenji to tell mother to prepare a meal for both of you. It's the least I can do," she replied. I thanked her and we went outside, coming across Kakashi who stood leaning against the wall, reading his stupid little book. I suppose I should have felt slightly embarrassed to see him, after what had happened earlier. However, as it so happened I wasn't the type to get embarrassed so quickly, and kept my cool. Even so, I couldn't help calling him a pervert when I saw him and he looked up with an eyebrow cocked.

"What did you just call me?" he asked slowly, as if not hearing right the first time. I repeated myself and he stared back at me in disbelief.

"I'm not a pervert!" he cried out, looking genuinely offended. I ignored him and waited while Akira locked up.

"Next time, I'll think twice before attempting to help you," he mumbled.

"Yeah, make sure you do," I retorted tartly.

Akira observed us with a look of amusement on her face. "You two are so funny. I seriously don't know why you won't just come out and admit your feelings for one another," she said.

"What?" we both cried out, taken aback.

"You heard..." she replied.

"You must be mistaken, Akira. It's nothing of that sort. We're just friends," I replied, still slightly stunned by her comment.

"That's right. We're just friends," said Kakashi.

"Besides, I don't go for older men, especially the perverted kind. Even his hair is already fully grey. There's no chance of that happening," I couldn't help but add and Kakashi sighed.

"My hair is silver, not grey, and I'm not old. I'm only twenty-six, and most importantly, I am not perverted" he replied coolly. I was slightly taken aback because I hadn't known he was twenty-six years old.

"It's all lies, Akira, don't listen to him. You saw for yourself how he came rushing in to the ladies room, without the least bit of hesitation," I retorted easily and walked outside, seeing Akira had finished with the locking up. We stood outside while she locked the front door and once she was done, we headed back to the hotel.

"You two should give it a rest and stop lying to yourselves. It's so obvious you have feelings for each other. Deny it all you want," said Akira with a knowing smile. We sighed. It was clear that no matter what we said to her, she wasn't going to listen so we opted to remain silent in the end. Although, it seriously made me think…Could she be right? Was there a chance that Kakashi liked me?

We walked inside the hotel to find Akira's parents waiting for us. She quickly explained what had happened.

"Nothing like this has ever happened here before. Usually our visitors are so well behaved. Please accept my sincere apologies for the trouble you had to go through. I will not be charging you for your stay here as a way to make up for it. My wife has prepared a meal for you, if you would like to follow us," said the owner, once he had finished listening.

"Thank you so much. That is very kind of you, even though it wasn't your fault," I said with a smile as we followed them.

"No, we should be thanking you for taking care of them for us. I'm sure if they had continued to stay here, they were going be a nuisance," said Akira's mother. She did have a point. Those two were definitely bad news for their business if this had continued. People would have stopped coming to the hot springs, especially the women.

"You should have been there, Mother. She knocked them out with one punch. It was incredible!" Akira said excitedly.

"I wish I had. It's good to see a woman perfectly capable of taking care of herself, especially with such perverts about," her mother replied with a frown. I couldn't help but laugh at the comment and heard Kakashi heave a sigh behind me. He was obviously going to think that I was laughing at him, which truthfully I was. They led us through a sliding door where food lay on a table. We were told to sit down and eat, which we did gladly and it was at that point I realised how hungry I was.

"The food was lovely, thank you so much," I said once we were done. The older woman smiled and thanked me for the compliment.

"I've made up two beds in your room like you requested. Is there anything else you might need?" she asked kindly.

"No, that's all. You've done more than enough so far. Thank you," replied Kakashi getting up from his seat.

"You should get some rest now. After such a long journey you must be tired," Akira said. The owner and his wife agreed so we made our way back to our room, after saying goodnight. The first thing we noticed was the two beds set up next to each other, when we walked inside. I placed my backpack down and made my way to the bathroom, closing the door behind me. We hadn't been in the room for not even a minute yet and already I was feeling awkward. I couldn't believe she set up the beds next to one another. She must have thought we were a couple or something.

I looked in the mirror and stared at my face, noticing it looked just like it did every time I glanced at it. My hair was still slightly wet but that didn't matter. Opening the tap, I washed my hands before drying them on the towel hanging on the hook and then made my way back outside. I noticed the change straight away: Kakashi had moved his bed away from mine. The sliding door was pulled open where he sat with his legs dangling outside and I couldn't see his face, but I noted he had taken his jacket off and his shoes.

"Aren't you tired?" I called out.

"Not really. You should get some rest. We have an early start tomorrow," he replied without turning around.

"I'm not really tired, to be honest. The hot spring took care of that," I answered back as I opened my backpack and pulled out a long t-shirt, which I was going to change into. There was no chance of sleeping in what I was wearing as it was too clingy and I preferred sleeping in something loose anyway. He didn't reply so I went back to the bathroom and got changed. Using the hairbrush I brought along, I quickly ran it through my hair and took care of the few tangles, which had formed.

When I was done, I went back outside and saw he still hadn't moved from where he sat. I wondered what he was thinking about but couldn't bring myself to ask. Grabbing my blanket, I wrapped it around me before heading towards him and sat down. The view outside was beautiful. It was a full moon night and the stars shone brightly in the sky bringing a smile to my face. The atmosphere was almost comforting, making you feel completely at ease.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked, looking at him.

"No, what makes you say that?" he replied, turning to look at me.

"I just wondered…" I responded. There was silence after that, as we both thought quietly to ourselves. I was staring at the moon while I thought about him and as the minutes ticked by, I didn't realise that my eyelids were slowly drifting closed.

I had fallen asleep sat right next to him and when I woke up sometime later I found myself in bed, with the covers around me. I couldn't remember getting into bed and stared around in confusion. It was still dark and sometime in the middle of the night according to the darkened room. Sitting up I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked towards where Kakashi's bed was, finding it empty. The sliding door was closed and he was nowhere to be seen, causing me to get up quickly in alarm. Where was he? Turning the light on, I saw that the front door was still locked but the sliding door was opened slightly and not closed like I had first thought. His jacket and his shoes were missing as well and he wasn't in the bathroom either.

I opened the sliding door and looked outside, seeing no sign of him anywhere. Where the hell was he? I grabbed my pouch and put it on before jumping outside, landing silently on the ground and peered anxiously around me. How could he just vanish like that without letting me know? It was quiet and there was no sign of anybody about. Where could he have gone and so late in the night? It didn't make any sense.

I made my way to the top of the building, where I would be able to see further out, and even then I couldn't see him anywhere. I felt the worry inside me increase but I forced myself to calm down and not panic. There was no telling where he had gone and to go looking for him, without knowing which direction he had taken would take forever.

Suddenly I sensed a presence behind me and turned around quickly…

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><p>AN: Please review!


	5. A Strange Meeting

**Unexpected Love – Chapter 5 – A Strange Meeting…**

_The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time – unknown quote_

It was Kakashi…

"Where the hell were you Kakashi? Do you know how worried I was?" I cried out in relief.

"Hey, calm down. I only went for a walk," he replied back calmly.

"What…you went for a walk, at this time? Are you crazy? You should have told me before going!" I replied back in annoyance.

"Relax! I didn't want to wake you up," he answered.

"That's not good enough. You should know better. We're on a mission and to suddenly disappear like that is obviously going to worry me but you're not bothered, so let's just leave it," I shot back coolly, before turning away. He grabbed my arm to stop me but I shook it off. There was nothing more to say as I returned back to our room and tossed my pouch angrily aside.

"Look, you're right. I'm sorry…it won't happen again," I heard him say from behind me and with a sigh I turned around to face him.

"Fine, make sure it doesn't," I replied calmly, and he nodded as he took off his jacket before getting into bed.

"So why exactly did you go for a walk at this time?" I asked turning off the light.

"Oh…no reason; I like going on walks at night. It helps me… think," he answered back as I got back into bed.

"Fair enough… Good night, "I said before pulling the covers around me.

"Good night," he replied. It was a long while before I finally fell asleep. I don't know why but I kind of got the feeling that he was hiding something from me. Even so I still fell asleep with a smile on my face, recalling that he had carried me to bed earlier and tucked me in, when I fell asleep by the sliding door.

I was the first to wake up in the morning this time. When I turned my head over to look in his direction I saw that he was still asleep. Pushing the covers aside, I sat up and stretched my arms in the air, hearing the joints click. I didn't get much sleep last night but it didn't matter now, since I was wide awake.

I got up and quietly straightened out my bed, before grabbing my rucksack and heading towards the bathroom. There I took out the things I needed and set to work brushing my teeth and having a shower and then got dressed into yet another dress, this one was mostly white with a green design across the middle. It was sleeveless and fell loose above my knees, not as revealing as the first one, but just as good, and I could easily say it was one of my favourites. I brushed my hair back and headed outside without making any noise.

He was still asleep so I decided to go and arrange breakfast for the two of us. I left a note, just in case he woke up and found me missing. Quietly, so he wouldn't wake up, I left the apartment and made my way downstairs and saw Akira's father busy at the reception area when I got there. After exchanging pleasantries, I asked him to recommend a good restaurant, which he did and also gave me directions so I could find it.

I found it less than five minutes later and went inside. It was owned by Akira's father close friend and served the best food in the whole village. After looking through the menu, I made my order and waited. It took about fifteen minutes before it was ready and after paying for it, made my way back to the hotel.

Once I had arrived back at the hotel I bumped into Akira's mother who offered to make some tea for us, when she saw I had returned with breakfast. I thanked her and accepted before heading back to our room. Using the key I opened the door and went inside, noticing his bed was empty and made. I presumed he was in the bathroom judging by the closed door. While I waited for him to emerge, I placed the bags down and opened the sliding door. Several minutes later there was a knock on the door and I opened it, accepting the tea I was handed.

I stood by the opened sliding door, peering outside at the view. There were already people hurrying about, getting ready for yet another day. Luckily the weather was warm, with plenty of sunshine, so it made it even better. No one liked to work when it was cold and raining, especially the people who had to stand by their stalls all day to make a living.

"Something smells good," I heard, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"I was wondering how long you were going to take. It's probably gone all cold by now," I replied turning to face him. He looked absolutely delightful and I couldn't resist staring at him. He was dressed like he normally was, in his ninja outfit but that fresh out of the shower look was really sexy, especially on him.

"I didn't realise you were gone to get breakfast. I'm glad you did though, I'm starving," he replied cheerfully. I could feel his gaze on me as I moved to open the bags and remove the take out packages. Thankfully the food was still warm and very tasty. Akira's father hadn't been exaggerating when he said the food was the best.

"I noticed your hair in the morning… it looks a right mess when you wake up doesn't it?" I said teasingly as we ate and he shrugged his shoulders in an offhand manner.

"I guess. It only settles back after I wash it. The food is great though, where did you get it?" he asked.

"Some restaurant Akira's father recommended. It was quite packed when I got there. Most likely a local favourite, just like Ichiraku's," I replied. Once we were finished I cleared the mess away and got ready to leave. After saying our goodbyes to Akira and her parents we resumed our journey to the Hidden Grass Village.

"So the plan is you're going to stay out of sight, while I'll do the investigating. If you're spotted then we could fail this mission and not find the information we need. They can't know that a ninja from the Leaf Village is about otherwise word could get back to the Rogue Ninjas," I said as we walked down the path.

"Right. I trust you to do what's needed Katsuki. Don't get caught, whatever you do," he replied.

"Don't worry I won't. Let's just hope we get lucky and complete this mission soon," I told him and he agreed.

"We can't forget that they're Rogue Ninjas and obviously must be very strong. I'm going to watch over you from a distance just in case. We should never underestimate our enemy especially when they're connected to Orochimaru," he added. We continued our journey and eventually as we neared to the Grass Village, we took to the cover of the trees to avoid bumping into anyone. It took most of the day before we finally reached our destination.

The sun was already setting by this time and once again the air was chilly. I walked into the village while Kakashi entered on the sly, keeping me in sight from a distance. It was best this way and we would get through this mission much quicker. The village looked like any other village as I glanced around and luckily no one regarded me suspiciously as I went by them. Since this was my first time here, I had to be careful to act like a traveller passing by.

I came across a hotel where I booked a room, making sure it had a balcony or a sliding door leading outside so Kakashi could get inside without any problem. There was no choice but to share a room again to avoid raising suspicion. The owner was like one of those fat perverted types and flirted openly with me, as much as I was disgusted and wanted to knock him out, I couldn't. He called one of the workers who took me to my room and handed me my key.

As soon as the door had closed behind me, I hurried to the sliding door which led to the balcony and opened it. This room was much bigger than the last one. It even had extra bedding and covers provided, which was a plus. I stood outside and looked around for Kakashi and he appeared several minutes later and we made our way back inside.

"I better go and get us some food. You can wait here in the meantime," I told him and went back outside. It seemed I was going to have to run around more than Kakashi was… just my luck. I returned half an hour later with our food and saw him sat reading his stupid book just like I had expected.

"You could have got the beds ready," I pointed out with a sigh.

"Oh, I guess it didn't cross my mind, sorry," he replied lazily, placing his book down and I bit back a retort. This guy could be so annoying at times. We ate in silence, as I thought about going to check out some of the local bars I had been told about. The owner of the restaurant where I had ordered our food helpfully pointed out some of the popular bars in the village as I waited for the food.

He had asked me where I had come from and I told him I was a writer, who liked to travel for inspiration and ideas for my stories. He had seemed genuinely interested and I easily lied my way through his questioning.

"I'm going to go and check out some of the bars around here. There's no point waiting until tomorrow," I told Kakashi and he nodded, agreeing it was a good idea.

"I better get changed then," I said and he pointedly looked me up and down before giving me a weird look.

"What's wrong with what you're wearing at the moment?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Nothing, it's just that I need to wear something more appropriate for this line of work. I did explain it to you yesterday," I replied pointedly.

"I see…" was all he said. Something about his tone made me pause.

"Is there a problem?" I asked looking at him. I kind of got the feeling he didn't approve, don't ask me why but I did.

"No… Be careful" he replied settling down with his book again. He hadn't met my gaze head on, in fact he avoided it. One thing was for certain and that was, nothing about this guy was easy to figure out.

"Don't worry I will," I replied back and headed for the bathroom. Twenty minutes later I stepped back outside once I was done. This time I was wearing a short, strapless black dress with my hair up. I had applied some makeup, nothing too heavy and was all set to go. He hadn't looked up from his book, not even once. Fine… if he was going to ignore me then two could play that game. I grabbed my purse and put my shoes on, before walking out.

I headed in the direction of the nearest pub, trying to calm myself down. Why was I getting so worked up over him anyway? He obviously didn't care, that much was certain. It was best to forget about him and concentrate on the mission.

"Hey baby… looking hot" I heard someone call out. Another one whistled. Great…this was not helping. I ignored them and continued walking, finally coming across the bar I had been looking for and made my way inside. It was quiet with only a handful of people sat around. Majority of them were males and they all turned to look my way with interest as I sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. First thing first, I kept my keen hearing on alert. It was surprising how much you could pick up through eavesdropping alone.

"Hi, I haven't seen you around here before…are you passing by?" I heard someone say from behind me. Turning around I saw a guy in his late twenties stood behind me. He was quite handsome but not my type. With ease he slipped into the seat beside mine and ordered a drink, judging by his style it looked like he had done this many times.

"That's right… I'm a writer actually and travelling from one place to another is part of my work," I replied automatically. From his movements I could tell he was a ninja, even though he wasn't wearing a headband.

"A writer huh, sounds interesting. What do you like to write about then?" he asked eagerly.

"Love stories mainly. Every village is full of couples with exceptional love stories. I just like to find them and get ideas. It's quite interesting really," I responded taking a sip of my drink.

"It definitely sounds like it. So what's your name?" he enquired.

"Kaira, what's yours?" I told him.

"Lovely name…My name is Toshiro. Anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" he answered with a smile. Great… I've had this kind of conversation so many times it was unbelievable and the funny thing was that it was always the same each time. I acted like I was chuffed by his comment when in reality I felt the need to vomit.

"Well, actually, I have…" I replied in a fake happy voice.

"I'm not surprised in the least… so do you have a man in your life?" he continued in his lame chat up attempt. I shook my head. This conversation continued for a while before I decided it was safe to start gathering information.

"So do you live here? Have you heard any interesting love stories? Please say you have, I could use the help," I asked giving him one of my special looks, the ones they couldn't resist saying no to.

"Well… to be honest I haven't ,but I would love to help you. I've lived here all my life," he replied.

"Let me guess… you're a ninja. No wonder you haven't got a clue. I was hoping to get a story about a ninja couple to be exact. Do you know any ninjas like that around here?" I asked with a hopeful look on my face.

"Is it that obvious? I know quite a few but none of them are romantically involved with a woman at the moment," he responded. It was then I noticed a group of four guys walk in and something about them made me pay close attention to them, without interrupting the conversation with Toshiro. They were all wearing masks and there was no sign of headbands anywhere. Even more peculiar was their clothing. They were all dressed in complete black with hooded tops and trousers.

One of them glanced at me when I pretended to look their way out of the blue. I almost froze at the cold look in his blue eyes but I kept my cool. They headed towards a table nearby and one of the women working behind the bar rushed towards them instantly.

The atmosphere in the bar had changed with their entrance. Most of the people had made a move to leave. Eventually it got to the point where besides them; we were the only two customers left. Even Toshiro had tensed up slightly.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Oh nothing… How about I take you somewhere for a late dinner?" he asked quickly.

"Sorry, but I'm not really hungry. I'm just going to stay here, have a few drinks and then head home," I replied faking an apologetic tone. Something was definitely wrong. Who were they and why was everyone so worked up because of them? I ordered another drink and strained my ears, hoping to hear something interesting.

It was then I noticed the woman who had served them head towards the ladies toilet. I easily excused myself and made my way in the same direction. She was inside one of the cubicles when I entered. I pretended to use the toilet as well and was in the middle of washing my hands when she appeared, giving her a smile which she returned. She washed her hands and then started to reapply the makeup on her face as I did the same.

"That lip colour really suits you. Where did you get it from?" I asked. Just like I thought, her face lit up with the compliment.

"Thank you. I brought it from the makeup store just around the corner," she replied. We continued to exchange small conversation before I started asking the questions I was really interested in knowing the answers about.

"I'm not being funny, but who are those guys that just came in? I mean it was like as soon as they entered everyone else left. Don't you think that's strange?" I asked out of the blue, feigning nonchalance. Her eyes widened and she gestured at me to be quiet.

"Don't let them hear you say that. They're ninjas from God knows where. They turned up here about a week ago and kind of just took over. No one dares to mess with them after the way they killed a few of the locals. Rumour has it they're cursed and the definition of pure evil. Some say that they're working with that Orochimaru guy but no one knows for sure," she whispered quietly.

"Really…I doubt I want to associate with them in any way. Thanks for warning me," I replied with a friendly smile.

"No problem. You be careful now. I better get back to work," she told me and left. As soon as she left I released the smile I had been holding back. Well… this was very lucky. So these were the Rogue Ninja guys we were meant to gather information on. It was clear that this wasn't going to be very easy but then again for me there was no such thing as impossible.

I made my way back outside and noticed Toshiro still sat there waiting. It was obvious that he couldn't wait to escape from here, but he had stayed for her sake. He looked up with a smile as I approached. Almost casually I glanced at the group of ninjas again and noticed the same one who had given me the cold look earlier looking at me. This time his eyes weren't cold but assessing. I sat back down and ordered another drink.

So what was my next move? Now that I knew who they were, should I return back to the hotel and let Kakashi know or should I wait and see if I learn anything else. In the end I decided to wait and continue keeping an eye on them.

Suddenly I sensed movement from one of them but didn't look their way. I carried on talking to Toshiro, showing that he had my complete attention. It was only when I noticed that he was headed in our direction, did I look up. It was the same one…the one with the cold blue eyes. Toshiro turned to face him as well as his eyes widened in panic and even his hands were shaking slightly.

The blue eyed guy paused next to us and glanced right at me, completely ignoring Toshiro.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"Who are you?" he asked in a cold voice.

"Why do you ask?" I replied in confusion.

"I don't know why but I believe we have met before," he responded in the same cold voice.

"I doubt that. I'm sure if we had met then I would have remembered you. I have a very sharp memory," I answered.

"Um Kaira… I'm sorry ,but I should get going now. It was nice meeting you," said Toshiro and rushed off. I stared at his retreating back with disbelief. What a coward…

"So your name is Kaira. You're not from around here, that much I can tell. So where are you from originally?" the blue eyed guy asked. He had sat down next to me, which was surprising.

"Why do you want to know? We don't even know each other. I find it quite strange that you're questioning me like this," I replied. There was something about this guy. I wasn't sure what it was though… the feeling wasn't exactly good but it wasn't bad either.

"You didn't hesitate to talk to that guy so why me? It's not like I'm going to kill you or something. Just answer the question," he responded in a cool voice.

"Fine, I will answer the question, but only if you answer a few of mine," I shot back. He cocked an eyebrow at my reply and a look of interest appeared in his eyes.

"Aren't we the little clever one? What do you want to know?" he replied.

"Since you know my name, it's only fair that I know yours," I answered smoothly. I could tell he grinned at that remark, judging by the way his mask creased around his mouth.

"It's Yuki," he informed me.

"I'm an orphan. I never knew who my parents were and I don't know where I come from originally. I was brought up by an old man who found me when I was just a little kid," I told him, looking straight at him. Something told me that he was paying close attention to my answers so I had to make sure I didn't give him a reason to doubt anything I said.

"I see… So why are you here?" he continued to question me.

"I'm a writer. I like to travel so I can get ideas for stories to write about. What about you? Do you live here?" I asked.

"Yes… I want to get to know you Kaira. Can you meet me here tomorrow at 7 in the evening?" he asked, surprising me.

"I'm not too sure about that…" I started but stopped. He had moved forward towards me, closer than was appropriate. My eyes widened as he stopped mere inches away from my lips. It was then I smelled it, a hint of fragrance coming from him and it smelt somewhat familiar.

His eyes bored into mine and when he asked me again, I found myself nodding in agreement. Don't ask me how, it just happened. With a satisfied look, he moved back and got up.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, don't be late," he said before walking away. I was still slightly shocked. What the hell had just happened here? I glanced at him and saw him looking back at me. None of the other three so much as looked my way, which was odd. They were busy drinking and talking quietly amongst each other.

Turning away I grabbed my drink and knocked it back before ordering another. This was turning out to be quite a strange experience. I noticed the woman I had spoken to earlier give me looks. It was obvious she was dying to speak to me but couldn't. Sometime after that the four guys got up and I glanced at them, noticing they were leaving.

I had sensed his eyes on me ever since he returned to his table after walking off earlier, but I hadn't turned to look in his direction. Not even once… Now that he was leaving I couldn't resist one final look and found he was still staring at me. With one last glance, he turned away and they left.

It was strange. I had never ever seen such strange behaviour on a man before. What was going on here? Why was he so interested in me? It didn't make any sense.

"Wow, that was totally unexpected. I've never seen any of them approach a woman before," said the woman I had spoken to earlier. She placed another drink before me and I thanked her.

"Don't ask me…I'm still in shock myself," I replied.

"That was definitely weird. I'm not surprised that you're shook up. By the looks of it, he's certainly taken by you. He didn't take his eyes off you once" she answered. I was starting to feel a little light headed…maybe I had drank quite a bit without realising. This wasn't like me. Maybe she was right: I was shook up…

"I don't understand it myself…Oh, well, never mind. I should get back to the hotel. It was nice meeting you," I said getting up.

"Same here. Do come again," she said with a smile. I paid my bill and made my way outside. It was late and there were hardly any people about as I headed towards the hotel, totally oblivious to the fact that it was raining. For some reason I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. The smell of his fragrance still lingered in my senses. Why had it smelt so familiar, like I had spent countless days smelling it and could recognise it anywhere?

I hadn't realised that I had walked right past the hotel. My body just kept moving while my head was in turmoil. Even when I felt someone grab me and pull me into a dark alley, I didn't even flinch...

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><p>AN: Please review! :)


	6. Amendments!

A/N: No reviews once again… Got a few story alerts and favourite story alerts though, which proves this story is being read! Maybe this time, hopefully, they might just leave me a review… A writer can only hope after all, lol!

Enjoy :D

**Unexpected Love – Chapter 6 – Amendments! **

_The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time – unknown quote_

"Katsuki…snap out of it! What's wrong with you?" I heard him say as he stood before me, holding me by the arms and looking down at me in worry. I couldn't help it, my arms wrapped around him instantly. His body froze in shock at my actions, but he didn't push me away.

"What's wrong Katsuki? Did something happen?" he asked in a soft voice. I didn't answer and continued to hold onto him. Several minutes went by and nothing. The rain had picked up speed and by this time, we were soaked through. He must have decided to make a move, since he couldn't get me to talk. Lifting me up into his arms, he jumped onto the building soundlessly and made his way back to the hotel room. With one hand he opened the sliding door and stepped inside with me in his arms, closing it shut behind him.

"Are you okay?" he asked in concern. I nodded. He placed me down and I finally looked up at him. He was gazing back at me. I could clearly see the worry in his visible eye, but thankfully he wasn't attacking me with questions.

"Sorry about that…I guess I reacted without thinking clearly" I said looking away.

"Don't worry about it. So what happened? You look…shaken up" he replied carefully.

"I got lucky and came across them in the first bar I went to. There are four of them and they all wear masks on their faces. I didn't see any headbands but it's definitely them. I spoke to one of the women who works there as a barwoman and she said they arrived in the village about a week ago and already they have started making trouble. She also confirmed the rumours that they are working with Orochimaru" I told him.

"Hmmm…indeed lucky…What happened after that?" he asked frowning slightly.

"One of them approached me and started asking questions, before I could make a move. He wanted to know my name, where I was from originally and why I was here. He was paying rather close attention to my answers, almost like he wanted to see if I would lie or not" I said carefully and turned to look at him.

"That doesn't sound good" he remarked, looking thoughtful.

"He said he recalled seeing me before, but I don't remember him. Could it be possible that he's someone from my past?" I said out loud. Kakashi looked at me sharply.

"I think we should return to the Leaf Village and let Lady Tsunade know about what happened. It's not safe for you to stay here any longer" he responded distractively.

"What do you mean it's not safe for me? Is there something you're not telling me Kakashi?" I demanded. He was avoiding my eyes again. Just what the hell was going on here? I mention meeting someone who might know about my past and he just talks about leaving. No way…

"I've arranged to meet him tomorrow so I'm not leaving just yet. I finally get a chance to find out about my past and you want me to just walk away. That's not going to happen and you can't stop me" I continued, feeling more than a little angry.

"You're not going to meet him and that's final. I'm in charge of this mission and what I say goes. Do you understand?" he replied firmly. It was as if he was daring me to go against him.

"I'm sorry but I can't do that. There's no way I'm letting this go. It's not like you would understand. You don't know how I feel and I can't expect you to. I never should have told you anything" I replied in a hurt tone. With that I turned away from him and after grabbing my rucksack made my way towards the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind me.

The tears which had been desperately trying to fall leaked out. It hurt…Somewhere deep inside me it was hurting…Why couldn't he understand? He knew all there was to know, but still he couldn't see this was important to me…I had to know what this guy knew about my past. Whoever he was I had once known him. That fragrance smell I had smelt off him was the biggest proof of that.

I stripped off my wet clothing and let my hair down before getting into the shower. After having a shower I dried myself before getting dressed in my long t shirt. Once I was done I opened the door and walked back outside. I could sense his gaze on me but I ignored him. I tossed my backpack on the floor and started to set my bed up.

"Katsuki…we need to talk" he said resignedly. I didn't answer. He appeared next to me and grabbed my arm.

"Leave me alone" I replied in a cold voice.

"Just hear me out…" he answered. I turned to face him and waited for him to speak.

"Look what I said earlier was for your own good. You think you might know this guy but there's no guarantee that he's someone good. He could be an enemy and this could all be a trap. I can't let you go running in without thinking this through properly. That's why I suggested talking to the Hokage and see what she says" he said.

"I understand what you're saying, but there's no time for that. I'm not stupid. Of course I know that this could be a trap and he could be an enemy. It's just that I need to know what he knows and I'm willing to take the risk" I shot back. He sighed and let go of my arm.

"I guess I have no other choice then. Okay we'll stay, but we're going to do this my way. You're going to go and meet this guy, but take him somewhere quiet where I can keep an eye on you. Also I'm going to send word back to the village and let Lady Tsunade know about this. If she thinks we need backup, she'll send it" he replied, instantly relieving me of my worries.

"Thanks for understanding. That's fine with me" I replied with a smile.

"It's not like I have a choice. Just because I said no earlier, doesn't mean I don't understand how you feel. It's just that we're on a mission and for me the welfare of my comrades is more important" he responded. He was so full of surprises. It was wrong for me to jump to conclusions earlier. I should have given him a chance to explain.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have over reacted earlier" I commented. He waved it off.

"Don't worry about it" he replied. I watched as he made hand signs for a summoning jutsu before placing his hand on the ground. There was an explosion and when the smoke cleared I saw a small dog

"How's it going Kakashi?" greeted the dog.

"No time for that Pakkun, I need you to hurry back to the Leaf Village and give Lady Tsunade this message. It's urgent" Kakashi replied, handing him a small scroll.

"No problem" Pakkun answered and took it from him. He gave me a curious glance, but didn't say anything.

"I'm counting on you" Kakashi told him before moving to open the sliding door. Pakkun gave a nod and ran off.

"So you can summon dogs…" I remarked. He nodded.

"They're a clever bunch. I can rely on them anytime especially if it involves tracking or delivering messages" he replied with a shrug.

"Shouldn't you be getting out of those wet clothes? I'm sure you don't want to get ill" I pointed out, seeing the state he was in. He looked down at himself as if only just recalling.

"Oh right…I almost forgot" he said with a chuckle.

"You should learn to follow your own advice sometime…I better go and get us some food before you complain about being hungry again" I replied pulling on my jacket.

"Good idea" he answered in a cheerful tone. I turned to leave after pulling my shoes on.

"Be careful. Don't let your guard down" he warned.

"I know" I replied, resisting the temptation to roll my eyes and left. I made my way outside and hurried towards the late night restaurant I saw earlier. The streets were empty and there was hardly anyone about. Not surprising in the least, since it was so late. Only minutes later I spotted it and was relieved to see it was still open. I went inside to order and looked around while I waited. There were only two other guys sat there and I could sense their looks. Why is it that the world was so full of perverts? They just couldn't keep their eyes to themselves. When the food was ready I paid for it and walked back outside.

I sensed them behind me only minutes later. In a way I had been expecting it… These men could be so typical at times. Even so I carried on walking and waited for them to make their move. When I sensed the hand coming I turned around with incredible speed and grabbed him by the arm, tossing him into the wall nearby. He crashed into it and dropped onto the ground, unconscious. The other one looked at me in shock before he ran off.

I shook my head in disgust and carried on walking. Moments later I had returned to the hotel and entered our room. He was sat reading his book, just like I had expected. I took off my jacket and sat down in front of him, getting the food out. We ate in silence and throughout I kept eyeing his book. It lay beside him, opened to the page he was currently reading.

I finished eating before him and when the opportunity came, I grabbed it. His eyes widened and he moved to take it back but wasn't quick enough. Keeping my distance I started to read from the page he was currently on.

"Give it back Katsuki" he said in a supposedly threatening tone. I ignored him and continued to read it. When I saw what was written there, my cheeks went red in embarrassment. I couldn't believe Jiraiya Sensei would write so vividly about a love making scene. The words used would make anyone blush. Kakashi had appeared in front of me and tried to take the book back, but I dodged him easily.

"You really shouldn't be reading such a book Kakashi" I scolded him, teasingly. He tried to grab it again but missed. It soon turned into a full on battle between the two of us.

"Poor Kakashi and just when it was getting to the best bit" I commented mischievously. A tint of red appeared on his cheeks at the implication behind my words.

"Just return the book and we can get some sleep" he replied with a sigh.

"Come get it then!" I threw back. Suddenly the room went dark as the light went out.

"What the…?" I started to say when I felt him grab me. Taken off guard by the sudden movement, I lost my footing and fell. He landed on top of me when I hit the ground and we lay unmoving for a good few seconds. The light turned back on, but I didn't even notice. All I could see was Kakashi gazing down at me with his face inches away from mine, while his body lay on top of me…

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><p>AN: That's all for now. Please review and I'll update soon. See you in the next chapter! ^_^


	7. Interesting Endeavours

A/N: This chapter is short, but filled with interesting turn of events. A big thank you to DarkIrisGypsy and Natsumi1695 for reviewing. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far…

**Unexpected Love – Chapter 7 – Interesting Endeavours**

_The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time – unknown quote_

I didn't dare move for fear of breaking the moment. I saw his eye drift down towards my lips and abruptly I felt them go dry. Out of habit I licked them to get rid of the dryness, which was a bad move. My heart had begun to pound loudly and it was obvious that he could tell. Even my breathing was affected.

His only visible eye returned to look into mine. It was as if he was searching for something in them, exactly what…I had no idea. His head began to move even closer and I waited to see what would happen next. Just as his covered lips were about to touch mine he hesitated for a second before moving away.

I felt disappointment hit me like a ton of bricks. He got off me, avoiding looking at me. I sat up too, noticing my t shirt had ridden up but I didn't care.

"Sorry about that…" he said awkwardly.

"Why did you stop?" I asked bravely. He looked at me sharply, surprise shown clearly on his face.

"What did you say?" he asked, as if he didn't hear right the first time.

"I said why did you stop? Why didn't you kiss me?" I repeated boldly, just like the first time. He gazed back at me in amazement. I waited for a reply but it never came. Giving up I threw his book back at him, which he caught easily. I turned my attention back to the empty takeaway containers lying on the floor and began clearing up the mess. Once that was done I went to wash my hands in the bathroom and on my return noticed the light had been turned off. He was lying on his made bed.

I walked towards the sliding door and opened it, closing it shut behind me. With a leap in the air I landed on the roof and sat down. I didn't regret saying what I did, even if it made things complicated from now on. I wasn't the type of person who could hide how I felt about another person. Whether I liked them or I hated them, I always ended up expressing my feelings.

I knew I cared a great deal for Kakashi and couldn't keep that hidden inside me forever. Now he knew that I had feelings for him and all I could do was wait and see if he would return them. If not then…I suppose there was no other choice, I would have to forget about him. Yeah right…easier said than done. I sighed and observed the surroundings.

It was another cloudless night and the moon shone brightly from above. Other than the wetness on the surface and ground, there was no sign that it had even rained. Except for the usual sounds you hear at night, there was silence. I lay down onto my back and stared at the night sky. How many times in the past had I spent the night outside staring up at the sky? Trying to seek the answers to the questions I had buried deep inside me. There had been plenty…

Sometimes I wished things were different…that I had a reason to live. At the moment all I was doing was living life as it was. I didn't have anyone special in my life, except for Jiraiya Sensei. He was the only one who had been there for me the most. If it wasn't for him, I couldn't even imagine what would have become of me. I would have probably died that day…

Nevertheless I was a shinobi and it was time I acted like one. There was no room for pesky emotions like love in my life. For a while I had weakened but not anymore. It was time to act professional since I was currently on a mission. Tomorrow I would go, meet Yuki and find out exactly what it was that he knew about me. I wasn't going to run away from anything…I was going to face it head on, even if it had to be Kakashi.

As time went by I began to feel sleepy, feeling the tiredness at long last. I didn't even have the energy to get up and return to my bed. With that last thought I drifted off to sleep…

Sometime later I felt like I was moving and realised someone was carrying me. My eyes opened slightly to see it was Kakashi. I must have dozed off on the roof. It seemed he'd come looking for me and found me fast asleep. I closed my eyes again, allowing myself to enjoy the feeling of being close to him. He leapt down off the roof soundlessly and carried me inside before laying me down in bed. My hair had fallen in my face and I felt him push it back gently.

I continued pretending I was asleep, curious about what he would do. Then without any warning I felt his lips on mine. His actual lips...There was no sign of the mask anywhere. My eyes shot open and saw him staring down at me

Even though it was dark we could still see each other clearly. He wasn't wearing his headband or his mask. Both of his eyes were wide open, which meant he had seen right through me with his Sharingan. He had known I was awake from the beginning. There was silence as we gazed at each other. This time I wasn't going to say anything. I would wait and see what he would do.

I wasn't disappointed this time…He lowered his lips once more and kissed me again. It started off slow like we were experimenting before it deepened.

Somewhere in the middle of that kiss our bodies had moved closer and were touching. I felt his hand slither its way around my waist and pull me against him, while my arms had wrapped themselves around his neck. He broke off the kiss and looked down at me, with his left eye closed and the other half opened.

"So what made you kiss me now?" I couldn't help but ask. He didn't seem moved by the question, as if he'd been expecting it.

"Let's just say I had doubts before but now I don't" he replied easily.

"Doubts…? About what exactly…?" I pressed.

"Well…I wasn't sure if you would appreciate me kissing you earlier so I backed off but now I know you wanted it as much as I did" he responded.

"I think what you're trying to say is…you simply didn't have the guts before" I remarked. He grinned and it was the first time I saw him smile. He was indeed very handsome, just like I'd imagined. My hand moved forward to touch his clean shaved face, tracing his cheek with my fingers.

"I don't get why you hide your face. It's not like you're ugly or injurious to the human eye" I teased. He gave me a smug look.

"So you think I'm handsome then?" he whispered into my ear. I felt a strange warm feeling inside and smiled, moving my face forward to nuzzle against his.

"Far from it…" I replied with my eyes closed, making him chuckle. I turned over onto my side and snuggled up closer to him. I felt him playing with my hair and in a way it was soothing. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep…

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><p>AN: Hope you liked this chapter, I did! Please review and I'll update soon. See you in the next chapter! ^_^


	8. Everything Falls Apart

A/N: Hey how's it going? I would like to thank all who reviewed the last chapter. You convinced me to update early, once more. So far we have 11 story alerts and 7 wonderful people who thought this story was worthy of being added to their list of favourite stories. I really appreciate that you like this story. Thank you so much. However, it would make me even happier if you would take the time to send me a review. I absolutely love reading feedback!

**Unexpected Love – Chapter 8 – Everything Falls Apart**

_The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time – unknown quote_

When I woke up in the morning I instantly recalled what'd happened last night and smiled. He hadn't left my side and slept here, right next to me. I could feel his light breathing on my neck and the weight of his arm around my waist. He was still fast asleep, so I didn't move not wanting to wake him up.

As I lay there, I thought about many things. Akira had been right after all, about the two of us having feelings for one another. She'd only seen us together for a short while, but it'd been long enough to see what we had. I guess we were both hesitant about revealing our feelings earlier, thinking the other wasn't interested. Even so, I was still very much in awe that he even felt anything for me. This was going to take some time getting used to…

There was no point in getting up early today, since I'd to go and meet Yuki in the evening. Deep down I knew I was dreading it, but it couldn't be helped. I'd to know what it was that he knew about me. Recalling how his fragrance smelt so familiar, bothered me the most. It couldn't be possible that we knew each other on a personal level. When I first saw him I hadn't felt anything, but then again I didn't see his face because he was wearing a mask. Even so, I couldn't tell Kakashi about any of this. He didn't even know that I knew his name; after all it could be a fake for all I knew.

I felt him stir beside me and waited to see what he would do next. The arm around my waist tightened and I felt him kiss me on my neck.

"Hey sleepyhead" I said with a smile.

"Yo…what time is it?" he replied sleepily.

"It's only half 10. Go back to sleep" I answered.

"Hmmm" he responded. I took that as a yes. Only minutes later, I sensed he had fallen asleep again. Deciding another couple of hours of sleep wouldn't hurt, I closed my eyes. Before I knew it, I had dozed off as well…

Several hours later, I woke up again to find Kakashi missing. Sitting up I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, before looking around. The room was empty, but the bathroom door was closed. I glanced at the time and saw it was half 1. Getting up, I set to work making the beds and waited for Kakashi to appear.

After about ten minutes, the bathroom door opened and he walked out fully dressed. Even the mask was back on.

"Took your time…" I said teasingly.

"I thought you might still be asleep" he replied with a shrug, before drying his hair with the towel. I got up and headed towards the bathroom with my things.

"I won't be long…" I replied closing the door behind me. Quickly undressing myself, I had a shower. Once that was done I brushed my teeth, before getting dressed into my white dress. That was the biggest disadvantage of travelling. You had no choice but to make do with what you bring along, which in my case wasn't much.

When I was done I went back outside to find him, once again, sat reading his book.

"Can't you get enough of that book?" I mocked him. He looked up and shook his head in reply. I put my things away, before heading towards where he sat. Settling down next to him, I grabbed his arm and cuddled up against him.

"Maybe you should pay less attention to that book and concentrate more on me" I told him, eyeing the book with distaste. The book closed instantly and he placed it back inside his pouch, much to my surprise.

"Hmmm, what exactly do you mean by that?" he replied amusedly, looking thoughtful at the same time. I knew he was just trying to get me worked up, so I ignored him. Instead I climbed into his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. His visible eye perked up with interest.

"You know exactly what I mean. How can you act so clueless after reading those books" I responded leaning forward. With one hand I pulled his mask down, before crushing my lips against his. This time when our lips connected I felt fireworks erupt, literally. It wasn't like before…this…I couldn't even begin to describe how it felt. I knew he'd felt it to, with the way he paused for about half a second, before deepening the kiss instantly.

I felt him nibble on my bottom lip, before running his tongue across it, almost teasingly. My tongue automatically moved forward to greet his, when it entered my mouth. It was like my body was on fire, with my pulse racing at an unstable pace. I could feel his hands touching me up, scorching my body wherever they landed. Shivers of delight were coursing up and down my spine considerably, as my breathing expanded by the second. Somehow I ended up on the floor with his body towering over mine. His lips left mine and began trailing kisses down to my neck. Soon the kisses turned into bites, making me gasp at the newfound feelings I was experiencing. My fingers ran through his hair as I pulled his head closer, encouraging him on. Eagerly, my body had arched forward while my head fell back; enjoying all the pleasures he was giving me.

"Oh Kakashi…" I moaned, pushing his head down to my breasts.

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door, making us jump. He glared at the door, before turning to face me. I noticed his breathing was uneven like mine and tried to calm myself down. With his hand he pulled his mask back up and gestured towards the door. Then he got back up and headed towards the sliding door, before slipping out. I got off the floor and straightened myself quickly, making my way towards the door.

After unlocking it, I opened it to find a young boy standing there.

"Hey, can I help you?" I asked politely. He gave me a weird look, seeing my flushed face.

"Sorry to disturb you, but my boss told me to come here and ask you if you needed anything. We offer room service and do your laundry for you. It's completely free of charge" he said.

"That would be great, thanks. How about you come here around say…5 o'clock and I can give you the clothes that need washing" I replied with a smile.

"Sure. I'll come knocking at 5 o'clock then. Bye" he responded and with a wave walked off. I closed the door quickly and locked it, before hurrying towards the sliding door. After opening it, I was relieved to see Kakashi standing there and beckoned him inside.

"So who was it?" he asked as he walked inside.

"It was one of the boys who work here. He wanted to know if we needed any room service or our laundry done. I told him to come back at 5 o'clock and I'll have it ready" I replied.

"I see. I have to hand it to the kid, he sure knows how to pick a bad timing" he said regretfully. I blushed slightly, remembering what had occurred not even 5 minutes ago.

"Now, where were we…" he said, moving to grab hold of me.

"I really think we should continue this later. Aren't you hungry?" I asked, dodging him. As if on cue we heard a loud rumbling. I narrowed my eyes at his stomach, as he grinned sheepishly.

"I guess I am" he replied with a chuckle.

"I better go and get us some food then. We haven't eaten in hours" I commented, removing my purse from my rucksack. Slipping my feet into my shoes I made my way outside.

Twenty minutes later I returned with our first meal of the day. We ate in silence and then I disposed of the rubbish, once we were done.

"Do you think Pakkun made it back to the Leaf Village?" I asked.

"I would think so. Although I haven't received any message just yet, I'm assuming we'll be getting some backup. Something tells me this could get ugly" he answered gravelly. I detected a hint of worry in his tone.

"I guess there is a lot of risk involved. Don't worry, I'll be fine" I assured him.

"When it gets dark I'll show you where to go with him. There's a chance he might suggest the same thing, but make sure you do it before he does. I'm going to follow you from a safe distance and keep an eye on you. Stay on guard at all times. This could be a trap for all we know" he said firmly.

"Got it…I don't know if he's coming alone or bringing the other 3 with him. Either way if they don't come, it doesn't mean they won't be lurking about. You better be careful as well" I told him.

"Hmmm…" he responded distractively…

The next couple of hours went by quickly. The boy had returned to pick up the clothes which needed washing. I made sure to offer him a tip if he returned the clothes in one piece, which he agreed to happily. Later, as soon as the sky had darkened outside Kakashi took me to the place where I would go with Yuki when the time was right. We managed to stay out of sight and returned back to the hotel afterwards, without been seen.

At exactly 7pm I sat at a table in the bar, waiting for him to show up. I hadn't bothered wearing a dress this time, settling for a strapless long white top with black leggings. I noticed the woman who'd been working here yesterday, wasn't about. Maybe it was her day off. In a way it was a good thing. At least this way I wouldn't have to answer her questions, which were bound to come when she saw me with Yuki.

Kakashi was, at this very second, somewhere close by, no doubt watching the entrance. I couldn't help but worry. We had no idea what these Rogue Ninja were capable of. My only hope was that backup arrived soon from the Leaf Village.

Sensing someone had walked in; I looked towards the entrance and saw it was him. His gaze landed on me immediately and made his way over. He was dressed exactly the same as he was yesterday, with the mask still covering most of his face.

"So you turned up, like you said you would" he said sitting down opposite me.

"It was more to do with curiosity than anything, to be honest. So what do you want?" I replied, getting straight to the point. He smirked, making the mask crease where his mouth was.

"Straight to the point like always…eh Katsuki?" he answered with a chuckle. I didn't flinch, in a way I'd been expecting this.

"No surprise…? I'm impressed" he added. His cold eyes stared searchingly into mine, trying to figure out what I was up to. It was the assessing type of look you gave your opponent when you stood face to face, before a battle.

"So you know my real name? Can I ask how?" I replied. So far the conversation was going pretty much like I'd thought it would. This guy, whoever he was, knew me once upon a time and would know about my past. I'd to know what he was keeping from me.

"We go way back Katsuki…way before your little incident" he answered mysteriously. It was obvious he was trying to get me worked up and I couldn't let that happen. I had to keep my cool.

"I don't remember anything about my past and you know that. So why don't you quit beating about the bush and tell me what it is that you know" I responded. A sudden feeling of dread was slowly starting to creep up my back.

"All in good time…you see I'm not stupid. I know you have someone outside, keeping an eye on this place. Did you seriously think I was going to come here alone? At this very moment the other three guys I came here with yesterday are taking care of him" he said in a cold voice. My hands formed into fists underneath the table and I struggled to sit still. Kakashi…

"Look, just leave him out of this. It's me you're concerned with so keep it to that. So, tell me why you called me here? What is it that you want?" I said, a hint of anger creeping into my voice. He smiled, noticing my discomfort.

"So he's someone special…hmmm…I want you to come with me and I'll explain everything. In exchange I'll spare his life. What's it going to be then?" he replied.

"How will I know that you're keeping your end of the bargain?" I threw back.

"You don't really have any other choice. Just come with me and I'll tell them to back off. You should hurry…I doubt he can hold against them for long" he answered with a chuckle. I could tell he was enjoying this and quickly went through my options. It was obvious that he wasn't kidding around. Either way if I refused and went to help Kakashi, we would still have to deal with them. The odds were against us, since there were 4 of them and 2 of us. More importantly, we had no idea what they were capable of.

"Fine I'll come with you, but you have to call them off first and I want to see that happening for myself" I replied callously. There was no other option. I couldn't let anything happen to Kakashi and if it meant I had to go with Yuki, then so be it.

"Fair enough…let's go" he said getting up. I got up as well and followed him outside. He leapt up into the air, landing soundlessly on the building opposite the bar and I went after him. Sure enough just like he said, the three guys stood facing off to Kakashi. They all looked our way when we approached. Kakashi perked up when he saw me, as Yuki eyed him with interest.

"Sharingan eh…? You must be the Copy Ninja from the Leaf Village. Kakashi Hatake, if I remember correctly" he said.

"And who may you be?" Kakashi replied coolly. The other three guys had backed off and stood waiting.

"My name is Yuki Hashimoto" he responded. Kakashi's eyes lit up in recognition.

"I've heard that name before. You're a Rogue Ninja from the Hidden Mist Village. You were with the group of Ninja who tried to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage, alongside Zabuza" he said. Yuki smirked.

"Impressive…So you know about me. Zabuza was a fool, no wonder he ended up dying. However, I am different and way out of his league. I chose the ideal path to gain more power and today I have it all" he answered with a smirk.

"I suppose you had no choice but to start working for the likes of Orochimaru. In a way you're no different from Zabuza" Kakashi commented, voice hinting disgust.

"You really are well informed Kakashi, I have to give you that. It doesn't matter how you go about it as long as you achieve your goal. That's the main thing. Let's just forget about all of that for now. I have what I came here for, so I'm letting you go. Don't even think about coming after us, otherwise I will kill you myself" Yuki replied turning away. The other three started walking towards us. Kakashi looked on in disbelief. I couldn't bring myself to look directly at him, when I felt his eyes on me

"Don't tell me…You agreed to go with them" he called out. I nodded, unable to word a reply.

"You know I can't allow that Katsuki. I'm not letting you go" he continued firmly.

"Don't bother coming after me…I'm choosing to go with them" I responded sharply and turned away.

"Let's go" said Yuki. I started walking away with difficulty. My legs felt like lead, as I took the steps which would take me further away from him. There was no other choice. I couldn't let Kakashi come to any harm because of me. Even if it meant my downfall...

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><p>AN: Hope you're enjoying the story… Please review… Come on… it won't take too much of your time. I think I deserve it, considering how quick I update…

See you in the next chapter ^_^


	9. The Past is Revealed

A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed and read this story. Unfortunately, this story is drawing to an end. I have another chapter or two left to write. Please continue to read and please review :D

**Unexpected Love – Chapter 9 – The Past is Revealed**

_The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time – unknown quote_

Suddenly there was a loud explosion and smoke appeared all around us, masking our surroundings completely. I felt someone grab my arm and drag me away. I allowed myself to be led away and when we'd moved away from the smoke I looked towards him.

"Why can't you ever listen?" I said with a frown. Kakashi ignored me and we continued leaping across building after building, trying to get away.

"Sooner or later they're going to catch up. We need to think of a plan and fast" I added.

"I already have…" he replied and explained the plan he'd thought up. It was good, but not perfect and right now it was all we had. There was a chance they might not even fall for it, except we had no other choice. When the timing was right we made a shadow clone and sent them running ahead, while we took another route. We didn't stop to see whether or not they were following us and rapidly moved ahead. The most important thing right now was to get away and then plan our next move.

In time we'd left the village and were hurrying through the woods, in the cover of the trees. I'd glanced behind a few times and fortunately saw no one.

Unexpectedly a mist appeared out of nowhere and we stopped, not being able to see where we were going.

"It's the Hidden Mist Jutsu. Stay alert. They've found us" Kakashi told me. I'd heard about this jutsu. It was a speciality of the Hidden Mist Village and not even a Sharingan user could see through it. If this guy was as good as Zabuza then there was a chance that he was aware of the Silent Killing Technique, which was used in conjunction with the Hidden Mist Jutsu.

We stood back to back with our senses on high alert. I hadn't sensed any movement so far, but that didn't mean the enemy wasn't close.

"That was quick thinking Kakashi, but too bad it didn't work" said Yuki sarcastically.

"I didn't think it would, but it gained us some time so can't really complain" Kakashi replied calmly. There was no telling where the voice was coming from and at the same time we had to worry about where the other 3 were. This was not good.

"Katsuki I thought we'd a deal. You were meant to come with me if I let him go unharmed, but you went back on your word. I'm going to kill him now, right in front of you and you can't do a thing to stop me" Yuki called out, a hint of malice in his tone. I'd been paying attention to where his voice was coming from each time he spoke. It changed direction every time. So he was on the move, not wanting us to pinpoint his whereabouts.

"Why do you want her anyway?" Kakashi called out.

"To be honest I thought she was dead. When I saw her at the bar yesterday I thought I was seeing things. The first thing I noticed was that she didn't recognise me, but I had to find out for sure, so I approached her. After hearing her answers I figured out quickly that she didn't remember anything" Yuki replied maliciously. I felt my hands form into fists. Why couldn't he just tell me what he knew? This was getting to the point where my patience was at its limit.

"Why won't you just tell me what you know? Stop messing around, you jerk" I cried out in anger.

"Calm down Katsuki…I was getting to that. You see…we met just over 6 years ago. I was moving through the woods one night when I found you lying unconscious. I took care of your wounds and waited for you to recover. It looked like you'd been in a fight and I didn't see a headband so wasn't sure where you were from.

When you woke up, we got talking and you told me about yourself. You were an orphan who'd been discovered by your master. He was the one who taught you everything there was to know about being a shinobi. His name was Orochimaru...Apparently after some time you discovered that he was in fact using you, so you escaped. He was after your powers, wanting to experiment on them so he could use them for his benefit.

After discovering the truth you'd escaped and he sent his men to pursue you, but you managed to defeat them and that's when I found you barely alive. I was even more curious about what those powers were that you possessed so I took you under my wing. Gradually as time went by, we fell in love and were inseparable. You wouldn't show me what those powers were though, saying you wanted to forget you even had them. We were constantly on the move so our enemies wouldn't find us, but eventually we were discovered.

It was that very day when I saw your powers for the first time and it was also the day we were separated. Orochimaru personally came looking for us, eager to get you back. We fought back but he was too powerful. When all hope was lost you used your power and defeated him, or so we thought at the time.

I'm sure you're wondering what this power is, unaware that you even have it. It's a rare trait passed down to certain individuals, also known as Kekkei Genkai. Your power was unique, the first ever seen. You had the ability to mould all five elements, Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Lightening into several different elements. The attack you used that day against Orochimaru was a combined attack of all five elements. It was your most powerful attack…but it came at a price. Your body was unable to handle it and you passed out.

It was then ANBU from the Hidden Leaf Village appeared with Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin and they took you with them. I managed to escape just barely and that was the last time I saw you until now" he explained. The fog began to increase around us, but I didn't even notice. I was completely dumbfounded by his story. It suddenly made sense…this meant that I'd been right about Jiraiya Sensei hiding something from me. Even so, I'd never expected it to be this big…There were still many things, which needed explaining. Like what'd happened afterwards…

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to face Kakashi. I looked at him wondering if maybe he'd known about this all along, but he appeared just as surprised as I was.

"Control yourself Katsuki. We're in a middle of a fight. Don't let your guard drop" he advised firmly.

"Too late…" we heard someone say. I turned around instantly to find Yuki standing behind me with a sword. My eyes widened, except I quickly realised he wasn't after me. He was after Kakashi. He wanted me alive all along, most likely to take back to Orochimaru or to keep for himself. However, before I could make a move I felt someone knock me out of the way, holding on to me in an unbreakable hold. I tried to get loose, but I couldn't even move. We crashed landed on the ground and I quickly realised it was one of the ninja accompanying Yuki.

I couldn't form any hand signs and there was no chance of breaking out of this iron grip, so I attacked in the only way I could at that very moment. I brought my knee up fast and rammed it into his groin. He instantly screamed out loud in pain and let go. Without wasting another second I formed a Rasengan and attacked him.

With one down and three more to go I turned my attention back to the others. The mist was as thick as ever and I couldn't see a thing. Suddenly, I sensed movement behind me and ducked the flying kick, which had been aimed for me. Before I could make a move though, I felt someone grab me and they quickly realised I'd used a Substitution Jutsu. He turned around quickly, but it was too late. I'd already thrown a series of kunai knifes at him from where I stood on the tree branch, which I knew he was going to dodge. As he leapt in the air to avoid them, my clone appeared behind him with a Rasengan and slammed it into his back.

I turned around expecting the last one to show and noticed that the fog had cleared slightly. I could see Kakashi and Yuki in battle. It was hard to tell who'd the upper hand though and the remaining ninja was nowhere to be seen, obviously looking for the right opportunity to attack from where he hid.

Nevertheless I felt like I was at my limit already, not surprising in the least after making two Rasengans one after another. They always did take a toll on me. I hadn't sensed the other ninja so far so decided to help Kakashi with Yuki. It was then I saw him, making hands signs as he stood directly behind Kakashi, who currently had his hands full with Yuki.

"Kakashi behind you…" I called out rushing forward. Kakashi distracted, turned to look behind him quickly therefore giving Yuki an opening, who dashed forward with his sword. Kakashi leapt into the air dodging both attacks. When the attack from the other ninja hit Yuki, we realised it was a Substitution Jutsu. The real Yuki appeared behind Kakashi and moved to attack him with his sword but Kakashi counterattacked it with his kunai knife.

I appeared in front of the other ninja and he stared angrily back at me.

"Come on then…what are you waiting for?" I called out.

"I don't care about keeping you alive any longer. Don't know what the hell Yuki was thinking…I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart" he replied with a sneer on his face.

"It's always more talk and less action with you guys. I already took care of the other two and it was easy enough. Let's see if you're any better" I remarked with a smirk. I could tell my words were getting to him and just like I'd predicted, he ran forward, clearly letting his anger control his actions. I pulled out my kunai knife instantly, ready to fend off any sneak attack. He drew out a knife off his own at the last second and there was a loud clash as both weapons collided. We leapt apart and stood facing one another.

He started with the hand signs again and this time I recognised them. He was an Earth Element User.

"Earth Style Stone Spikes" he said. I sensed the ground beneath me tremble and leapt into the air to avoid the spikes which would appear. He appeared in the air above me coming straight for me with his knife held in both hands. I dodged his attack and appeared behind him as he landed on the ground, releasing my own hand signs.

"Earth Style: Earth Corridor" I cried out. Instantly the earth below him rose up and attempted to imprison him in a dome but he jumped out of the way at the last second. I appeared behind him and formed more hand signs. It was time to end this.

"Lightning Release: Thunder Dragon Tornado" I cried out. Immediately a whirling vortex of wind and electricity surrounded me. Seconds later the vortex took on the form of a dragon's head and moved forward with incredible speed to hit him head on. He looked up with wide eyes and tried to move, but it was too late. When the attack had finished, he lay unmoving. I dropped to the ground on my knees panting. That last attack had taken most of my remaining chakra.

I looked to where Kakashi and Yuki were still fighting. It seemed their fight was still on, even though both were exhausted. I got up with difficulty and moved closer towards them. Kakashi had formed a lightning attack in his hand which sounded like a thousand birds chirping and was rushing forward towards Yuki, who stood ready. Before he could touch him though, Yuki jumped into the air and Kakashi leapt after him. The next few seconds consisted of Kakashi trying to connect with his body while Yuki kept dodging out of reach.

"Give it up Kakashi, that attack is useless if you can't hit me with me" Yuki cried out. He was right. It was like the Rasengan, which required a distraction, before you could hit your opponent with it. If you attack your enemy head on, he could easily dodge it and it would be a wasted effort. It seemed I would make a perfect distraction. Moving forward, I appeared behind Yuki with my Kunai knife ready to attack him. He acknowledged me quickly and tried to duck out of the way, forgetting about Kakashi for a second. It was all the time needed for Kakashi to attack him with his lightning jutsu.

When it connected with Yuki's body there was a poof and he disappeared. He had used a shadow clone. Kakashi dropped down on one knee panting while he scanned the trees for the real Yuki. I looked around as well seeing no sign of him.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked me.

"Yeah…" I replied. We were both at our limit. Suddenly I sensed something behind me and ducked low. Yuki had lashed out at me with his sword. I quickly delivered a low roundhouse kick attempting to trip him up, except he jumped out of the way. Kakashi had moved forward with his kunai knife and it was then I saw it, Yuki coming up fast behind him with his sword. The one who'd attacked me was another clone. There was no time to yell out a warning. I quickly pushed Kakashi out of the way and felt the sword pierce my body…

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><p>AN: Apologies for the cliff hanger… Please review and I'll update as soon as I can ^_^


	10. A Happy Ending

A/N: Sadly, this is the last chapter of this story. I hope all of you enjoyed reading it, as much as I did writing it. I want to thank all the lovely people who reviewed this story and took the time to read it.

25 added this as one of their favourite stories and 19 story alerts. Not bad! :D

I highly recommend reading my other Naruto story – Seven Days of Seduction. You won't be disappointed!

Warning: This chapter contains mature and sexual language, so don't read unless you're comfortable with it.

**Unexpected Love – Chapter 10 – A Happy Ending… **

_The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time – unknown quote_

Yuki looked on in disbelief as I stood in front of him with the sword wedged deep in my body. It was almost like time had stopped. There was silence for the longest seconds of my life, before I felt it…excruciating pain and burning somewhere inside me.

"K-Katsuki…no…" Yuki managed to utter, when it finally registered in his head what'd happened. His hand released the handle of the sword, as he stumbled back in disbelief. I felt my legs give out and fell backwards. Someone caught me from behind and held me.

"Katsuki…" Kakashi cried out, in shock.

"Take the sword out" I told him. His hand shakily grasped the sword handle and pulled it out in one go, tossing it aside. I cried out with the pain and turned to look at Yuki who'd dropped to his knees in front of me.

"Why did you do it Katsuki, why?" he demanded with a look of pain on his face.

"I couldn't let you hurt him" I replied slowly, feeling the taste of blood in my mouth.

"Dammit…why did you do it…?" Kakashi demanded slamming his fist on to the ground. I moved my hand forward to touch his cheek, as I gazed into his eyes, which were currently brimming with emotion.

"I love you, that's why…" I responded with a small smile. His eyes widened at my words and held my hand.

"Kakashi Sensei" someone cried out. It was a voice I would recognise anywhere.

"Naruto…" I whispered. He appeared in front of me and the smile grew on my face. He stood looking down at me in shock, before he closed his eyes, his face taking on a pained expression.

"I was too late…" he said quietly, in a defeated tone.

"We made it…Oh no…Katsuki" Sakura cried out, rushing forward. There were two other guys with them, who I didn't recognise.

"I need some privacy here…" she said urgently. The others turned away while she lifted my blood soaked top, to examine the wound. Placing her hands over the wound, she began healing it. I felt a warm feeling inside and closed my eyes.

"Sakura…will she be okay?" I heard Kakashi say as he held on to my hand tightly. Their voices were getting fainter with each second passing by.

"Kakashi…" I whispered before everything went dark…

Beep…beep…beep…beep

What was that noise and where was I? Wait…what was that smell? Flowers…? My eyes opened slowly and I flinched at the bright light. After blinking several times, they finally adjusted and I got to look around. I was in a room, a hospital room to be more precise. What was I doing here?

Suddenly it all came rushing back, everything that'd happened. My hand rushed to touch the place where the sword had pierced my body and found nothing. Not even a scar. Had it all been some kind of dream? No…it'd definitely happened. I struggled to sit up, feeling slightly weak and looked towards the window where I saw a single daffodil in a small vase. It made me smile.

I moved forward and swung my legs to the side of the bed. Holding on to the bed I placed my feet on the floor and stood up wobbly.

I'd to find him…The need to see him with my own two eyes was too great. I took a few careful steps forward towards the window. When I reached it, I looked outside. On closer inspection I realised I was back in the Leaf Village, but where was he? Where would I find him?

It was then I heard the door open and turned around. My eyes widened when I saw who it was. Automatically my feet starting moving forward, but the movement had been too quick for my weakened state. I felt myself falling and was caught by a pair of strong arms.

"You really shouldn't be out of bed…" Kakashi said disapprovingly. My arms went around him as he held me up.

"I'm so glad you came…" I whispered as I held onto him. His arms wrapped around me and I felt a gentle kiss on my head.

"Katsuki…" he said softly. I looked up into his eye as he stared down at me. It was filled with emotion and I felt tears well up in my eyes.

"…I'm so glad you're okay" he added wiping the tears away with his finger. I smiled, before pulling his mask down. He cocked an eyebrow at the gesture, but took the hint anyway. Our lips met briefly before we heard gasps and even a shriek. We looked towards the door and saw Naruto, Sakura and Ino standing there looking beyond shocked.

"Sakura…did I really just see Kakashi Sensei kissing Katsuki?" Naruto remarked disbelievingly.

"I think so and he's not wearing his mask…We finally get to see his face" Sakura replied slowly.

"I never knew Kakashi Sensei would be this good looking…" cried Ino dreamily. Sakura nodded in agreement. Kakashi sighed and pulled his mask back on. I couldn't help, but laugh at the scene taking place.

"I really think you guys should calm down…" Kakashi told them calmly.

"I can't believe we finally saw what was behind that mask after so long…" Naruto said, with a big grin on his face. Sakura nudged him hard with her elbow…making him cry out.

"Why did you do that Sakura? That actually hurt" he moaned.

"Let's go…we should give them some privacy" she replied grabbing hold of his arm and dragging him back outside.

"Have fun…" Ino added with a wink before turning to leave.

"Sakura there's no need to drag me. I can walk…" we heard Naruto say before the door closed shut. I chuckled softly as Kakashi sighed once more, shaking his head lightly.

"Those kids…" he started, but my lips silenced him soon enough…

After another couple of days stay at the hospital I was finally discharged and allowed to go home. I never thought I would hate staying at the hospital so much. The only plus had been getting visitors every day and the flowers, of course.

However, during those days I thought a lot about what Yuki had told me about my past. There were still questions I wanted to ask Jiraiya Sensei and Lady Tsunade. They should've been truthful with me from the very beginning, although in a way, I could understand that they'd been considering my wellbeing from the very start. If word had leaked out that I'd such qualities, I would've been targeted for sure. It explained why we were always on the move before coming here. They hadn't wanted Orochimaru to find me.

According to what Kakashi had told me, it seemed Yuki had disappeared. While they were tending to my wound, he managed to give them the slip. In a way I was glad. He was one person I never wanted to see again.

As time went by I began to accept the Hidden Leaf Village as my home. I spoke to Lady Tsunade and she finally told me the entire truth. It seemed Jiraiya Sensei had been the one who'd discovered rumours about me and went investigating. After learning that I'd given Orochimaru the slip, he teamed up with several of the ANBU and came looking for me.

They noticed the huge blast from my powerful attack and appeared just after I'd passed out, taking me back to the village. After several days of lying unconscious, I finally woke up and realised I couldn't remember anything. They conducted a full examination of my body and learned that the attack had afflicted damage to part of my brain, thus leading to my memory loss. The Medical Ninja in charge couldn't for the world figure out why that'd happened. So it was decided that Jiraiya Sensei would take me under his care and watch over me.

I told Lady Tsunade everything Yuki had said about my past. She said the best thing would be to start my training and slowly work on perfecting my powers. I'd discovered a long time ago that I could use all five elements whilst training with Jiraiya Sensei, but having the ability to mould them was something I wasn't aware of.

I couldn't remember what kind of training I'd received from Orochimaru and how I was able to form an attack with all five elements combined in the first place. However, to be honest, it wasn't something I was too fond of doing any time soon. Losing my memories once had convinced me to be more careful. There was no point trying to control a power, which my body couldn't handle.

As for Kakashi…well, he surprised me by taking me to his apartment, instead of my own, after leaving the hospital. All of my belongings, which weren't much, had already been shifted to his place, thanks to Sakura and Ino.

"Are you sure about this Kakashi?" I asked, looking directly at him as we stood in his apartment. He arched an eyebrow at the question and walked towards me. Pulling me into his arms, he kissed my head lovingly, as my arms coiled around his neck.

"Of course I am. Don't tell me you have a problem with it?" he replied, as we locked gazes.

"No…" I answered with a smile.

"Good…" he said and then inclined his face forward to kiss me…

Several hours later I stood in the bathroom, staring at my reflection in the full length mirror. I was wearing a red, lace nightgown with a low neck, displaying a generous amount of cleavage. It was sleeveless and very short, showing off my long legs. Kakashi had left a short while ago, to go see the Hokage and said he would be back in an hour or so, giving me plenty of time to prepare for our first night, after moving in together.

I smirked slyly; feeling the rush of excitement hit me. I couldn't wait to see his face when he saw me wearing this.

More than an hour later I stood on the balcony, with a blanket around me. It was a beautiful night with countless stars twinkling brightly in the darkened sky. The moon was full, basking the whole village in its light and I couldn't resist a sigh of contentment. It was so peaceful and nearly perfect. The only thing lacking was a certain someone, who'd still not shown up. Always late, every time…

Suddenly as if he'd sensed my thoughts, I felt his presence behind me and smiled.

"You're late!" I scolded him, without turning around. I felt his arms snake around my waist as he caressed my cheek with his.

"Sorry…" he replied softly, before planting a gentle peck on my cheek.

"Sorry isn't good enough" I responded, glancing sideways at him.

"Hmmm, I suppose I could make it up to you…" he answered casually.

"Oh really and how exactly are you going to do that?" I replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Why don't you come inside and I'll show you" he whispered into my ear, as I resisted the urge to shiver. I felt a flutter of elation, in the pit of my stomach.

"I'll meet you inside then" I answered calmly and he disappeared. Taking a couple of deep breaths, I followed him indoors a few minutes later. The lights were off, save for the bright light, coming from the bedside lamp. He was sat on the bed and turned his head to look my way when I walked in, closing the door behind me. His mask was off, as well as his headband and we gazed silently at one another.

The air in the room felt heavy all of a sudden and I felt my breathing exhilarate. I knew he was aware of the change as well, judging by the look in his eyes. It was then when I dropped the blanket and revealed what I was wearing underneath. The look on his face was priceless! Once he'd gotten over the shock, his eyes began roaming over my body slowly. I literally felt my skin burning hot, just by his gaze sweeping over it.

Seconds later I felt him behind me, as he pressed his body close against mine.

"Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you look?" he whispered into my ear and I factually melted. I felt his arm curl around my waist while he started sucking lightly on my neck. My eyes closed, tilting my head slightly to give him better access. His other hand landed on my left breast, massaging it softly. My breathing began to intensify, as I felt waves of pleasure course up and down my spine. When his teeth made contact with my collarbone, I shuddered and felt my legs form into jelly.

He chuckled lightly and supported my weight. Narrowing my eyes slightly, I turned around and after pulling his head down, crushed my lips against his. The kiss was hot and passionate, driving the butterflies in my stomach wild. He nibbled gently on my bottom lip before running his tongue over it. My tongue shot forward, eager to connect with his and thus began the clash of the tongues. Almost automatically my arms had wrapped themselves snugly around his neck, bringing our bodies even closer.

I dimly recalled hearing someone moan and realised it was me. His arms tightened around my waist before he started kissing his way downwards. My head fell back as his lips and teeth started attacking my neck. Every time he sucked or bit into my skin, my breath hitched and a sensation of pleasure shot up my spine.

"Touch me Kakashi…I want your hands on my body" I demanded softly, with a hint of urgency in my tone. Somehow I ended up pushed against a wall as his hands began wandering all over my body, scorching the skin, wherever they made contact. I moaned when I felt both of his hands on my breasts. His thumbs started flicking across my nipples as he sucked on my neck. I could feel the bulge between his legs as he lifted me by the ass and pressed me against him. I pushed my body even closer and felt him tremble.

Somehow I found myself beside the bed as he unzipped my nightgown and let it fall to the ground. I was wearing a red strapless bra with matching underwear. His eyes wandered appreciatively and moved to touch me, but I dodged him.

"Strip…" I ordered him and he shot me an amused look, before doing as he was told. Once he was naked, except for the boxers, I let my eyes wander. I took in the muscled body and the six pack, eyeing each and every scar I could see, with keen eyes.

"Are we done staring yet?" he asked, with a chuckle. I ignored him and continued getting an eyeful. My eyes landed on the swell in his boxers and felt the excitement stirring inside me again. He appeared behind me, taking me by surprise and lifted me up into his arms.

"Sorry, I couldn't wait any longer" he said huskily and laid me on the bed before climbing on top of me. The shock of his skin making contact with mine had my pulse racing instantly. He began teasing me right away, as his hands travelled all over my body. I was aware of every kiss, every bite and every touch. No words couldn't possibly describe the pleasures I was experiencing and this was only the beginning. He removed my bra and started sucking on my breast whilst groping the other. My hand grabbed hold of his head, encouraging his actions.

By this time I was feeling hot all over, especially between my legs and could tell he was getting impatient too. The remaining garments came off and I eyed his cock, with half opened eyelids. I sat up and took it in my hand, making him gasp sharply in surprise. I risked a glance at him and saw him staring back at me with eyes filled with lust. Twisting around so he was underneath, I began stroking his manhood up and down. His eyes closed and a look of sheer contentment appeared on his face. I continued pleasuring him, earning a moan of approval. Before I knew it, I had lowered my face and started teasing his cock with my tongue. His whole body shuddered instantly.

Wanting to pleasure him further, I took it whole in my mouth and began sucking, flicking my tongue on the end occasionally. His hand grabbed hold of my hair and began moving my head for me. Hearing his moans and pants turned me on considerably and the need to feel him inside me grew. As if reading my thoughts he pulled away and moved on top of me. Positioning his cock at my entrance, he inserted it inside me slowly. It did hurt a bit, but nothing too drastic. Within seconds he was inside me whole and began moving in and out, at a controlled pace. The pain had vanished and all I could feel were intense sensations of pleasures, coursing through my body.

He leaned forward and kissed me roughly, as I held onto him. He'd quickened his pace and my hips began moving in time with him. I could barely hear our moaning and panting, through the blood rushing in my ears. The heat inside me kept growing, until it got to the point where I couldn't take it any longer. When I was on the very brink, I gripped him tightly and came, screaming his name in pure ecstasy. He was on the verge as well, increasing his speed significantly. When he came, he trembled for a good minute or so before he fell on top of me, panting heavily.

"I love you Katsuki…" he whispered, planting a kiss on my lips. I smiled, hearing those words, coming from him, for the first time.

"I love you too Kakashi…" I replied softly and cuddled up close to him…

It's true what they say about love. It really does show up at the most unexpected time with the most unexpected person…

The End

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><p>AN: I hope you liked the ending…

I really enjoyed writing this story and it came together perfectly. I hope the love making scene was okay, after deciding on adding one at the very last minute… Overall, I am rather proud of completing yet another story. Thank you to all who read and reviewed. It really means a lot.

Please review! I would really appreciate them! Go on, you know you want to... Make sure to check out my other stories. Take care ^_^


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